Jefferson County, West Virginia: Industrial Catholic Metro county. In 2024, voted R+16%. Democratic peak: D+51 in 1932.
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+16MIT Election Lab
- Political typology
- Industrial Catholic MetroAkashic typology
- Population
- 59,2602024 5-year
- Median household income
- $98,8062024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 80.7%2024 5-year
- Black
- 5.7%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 7.8%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+51 in 1932MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+38 in 1900MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Lenawee County, MI · similarity 0.97
2024 results by precinct
2024 precinct map of Jefferson CountyPrecinct-level 2024 presidential results for Jefferson County, with each precinct boundary colored by Democratic-vs-Republican margin.
—
Margin—
Turnout—
Harris +50Trump +50
Real precinct boundaries. Hover for vote totals.
presidential history
Presidential margin, 1876–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1876 | No data |
| 1880 | No data |
| 1884 | No data |
| 1888 | No data |
| 1892 | +39.4% |
| 1896 | +30.6% |
| 1900 | −38.3% |
| 1904 | +31.9% |
| 1908 | +32.3% |
| 1912 | +41.1% |
| 1916 | +36.2% |
| 1920 | +28.9% |
| 1924 | +38.8% |
| 1928 | +4.1% |
| 1932 | +50.8% |
| 1936 | +45.4% |
| 1940 | +38.9% |
| 1944 | +28.3% |
| 1948 | +26.6% |
| 1952 | +12.6% |
| 1956 | −0.4% |
| 1960 | +20.2% |
| 1964 | +44.0% |
| 1968 | +5.9% |
| 1972 | −26.8% |
| 1976 | +14.4% |
| 1980 | +2.3% |
| 1984 | −16.5% |
| 1988 | −10.4% |
| 1992 | +5.8% |
| 1996 | +8.2% |
| 2000 | −1.3% |
| 2004 | −6.2% |
| 2008 | +4.8% |
| 2012 | −3.9% |
| 2016 | −15.0% |
| 2020 | −10.5% |
| 2024 | −15.8% |
DemocraticRepublican
38 presidential elections
| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 11,967 | 16,573 | 29,156 | ||
| R | 12,127 | 15,033 | 27,705 | ||
| R | 9,518 | 13,204 | 24,508 | ||
| R | 10,398 | 11,258 | 22,236 | ||
| D | 11,687 | 10,600 | 22,540 | ||
| R | 9,301 | 10,539 | 19,993 | ||
| R | 6,860 | 7,045 | 14,378 | ||
| D | 6,361 | 5,287 | 13,068 | ||
| D | 5,363 | 4,656 | 12,185 | ||
| R | 4,334 | 5,349 | 9,726 | ||
| R | 4,216 | 5,884 | 10,134 | ||
| D | 4,679 | 4,454 | 9,818 | ||
| D | 5,166 | 3,864 | 9,030 | ||
| R | 2,782 | 4,822 | 7,604 | ||
| D | 3,129 | 2,718 | 6,929 | ||
| D | 4,892 | 1,901 | 6,793 | ||
| D | 4,352 | 2,887 | 7,239 | ||
| R | 3,353 | 3,380 | 6,733 | ||
| D | 4,036 | 3,134 | 7,170 | ||
| D | 3,797 | 2,199 | 6,009 | ||
| D | 3,767 | 2,103 | 5,870 | ||
| D | 5,297 | 2,332 | 7,629 | ||
| D | 5,443 | 2,040 | 7,501 | ||
| D | 5,350 | 1,734 | 7,119 | ||
| D | 3,312 | 3,050 | 6,384 | ||
| D | 4,368 | 1,870 | 6,433 | ||
| D | 3,944 | 2,168 | 6,147 | ||
| D | 2,544 | 1,181 | 3,769 | ||
| D | 2,525 | 993 | 3,725 | ||
| D | 2,490 | 1,255 | 3,822 | ||
| D | 2,556 | 1,308 | 3,915 | ||
| R | 1,207 | 2,727 | 3,966 | ||
| D | 2,453 | 1,283 | 3,825 | ||
| D | 2,530 | 1,093 | 3,648 | ||
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Demographics
2024 ACS
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
German
20.7%
Irish
14.5%
English
13.3%
Italian
6.4%
American
5.2%
Polish
2.9%
Scottish
2.4%
African American
4.6%
Multiple ancestry combinations reported; no single grouping above 1%.
American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander combined.
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity that overlaps the race categories, so these shares can total more than 100%. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.
2024 ACS
Age distribution by sex
Median age: 41.0 in this county, 39.1 nationally
Male
Age
Female
85+
75–84
65–74
55–64
45–54
35–44
25–34
18–24
5–17
<5
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
2024 ACS
Median household income
Inflation-adjusted dollars
$98,806
Jefferson County ranks in the top 5% of US counties.
Jefferson County$98,806
West Virginia$59,608
United States$80,734
Jefferson County ranks in the top 5% of US counties by median household income.
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
2024 ACS
Poverty rate
All persons below federal poverty line
8.7%
Child poverty is below the national average.
Children under 1811.3%
Working age (18–64)7.9%
Seniors (65+)8.9%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
2024 ACS
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
93.1%
speak English only
Spanish4.4%
Other Indo-European1.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander1.1%
Other languages0.2%
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
2020 religion census
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 66.6% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.
Jefferson County sits at West Virginia's northeastern tip, drawing Washington, D.C.-area commuters whose arrival has kept its presidential margins closer than the state's overwhelming statewide Republican lean—though 2024's R+15.7 result suggests that gap is narrowing.
Its margins are typically close. The Democratic margin reached fifty-one points in 1932; the Republican margin reached thirty-eight points in 1900. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved five points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was sixteen points.
Its demographics sit near national norms: a 81% non-Hispanic-white share, a median household income of $98,806, and a 9% poverty rate. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Lenawee County and Kankakee County.
Most similar counties
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Jefferson County, West Virginia. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/54037/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
More in West Virginia
More industrial catholic metro counties
Frequently asked questions
How did Jefferson County, West Virginia vote in 2024?
In 2024, Jefferson County, West Virginia voted Republican by 15.8 points (R+16), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 29,156 votes cast, 11,967 went Democratic and 16,573 went Republican.
What is Jefferson County, West Virginia's political typology?
Akashic places Jefferson County, West Virginia in the "Industrial Catholic Metro" typology — Mid-size industrial metros with Catholic ethnic roots — among the most competitive, swing-prone ground in the country. The typology is a data-driven cluster built from vote share, vote swing, race and ethnicity, income, language spoken at home, religion, and ancestry. Across 38 elections in the dataset, the county has voted Democratic 23 times, Republican 11 times, and other 0 times.
When did Jefferson County, West Virginia last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Jefferson County, West Virginia voted Democratic was 2008.
How many people live in Jefferson County, West Virginia?
Jefferson County, West Virginia has a population of 59,260 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Jefferson County, West Virginia?
Median household income in Jefferson County, West Virginia is $98,806 — above the national median of $80,734. The West Virginia state median is $59,608.
What is the political history of Jefferson County, West Virginia?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Jefferson County, West Virginia from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 23 went Democratic and 11 went Republican. The county's typology — "Industrial Catholic Metro" — captures where that record, its demographics, and its recent swing place it among American communities.