Town guide

Jefferson, Iowa

Jefferson is a city in Greene County, Iowa, home to about 4,152 people across 6.0 square miles. Its ZIP code is 50129.

Homes sold for a median of $117 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.

Population4,152690 per sq mi
Median home value$155,800Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$117Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking14%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Jefferson

1 ZIP code

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Jefferson. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

The Jefferson guide is on the way

We’re writing up Jefferson’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Jefferson

Distances

Nearest major airportDes Moines International Airport (DSM)50 miles away
Closer regional airportFort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD)39 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Omaha, NE100 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL345 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Jefferson; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Jefferson

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Jefferson had 4,182 residents in the 2020 census, down 10% since 2000.

It’s the 101st largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.

Greene County grew from 17,820 residents in 1900 to 8,771 in 2020.

Jefferson population by census2000: 4,626, 2010: 4,345, 2020: 4,1824,62620004,34520104,1822020

Greene County, 1900–2020

Greene County population, 1900 to 20201900: 17,820, 1910: 16,023, 1920: 16,467, 1930: 16,528, 1940: 16,599, 1950: 15,544, 1960: 14,379, 1970: 12,716, 1980: 12,119, 1990: 10,045, 2000: 10,366, 2010: 9,336, 2020: 8,77118K’00’1016K’20’3017K’40’5014K’60’7012K’80’9010K’00’109K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 9°F. About 35.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 32 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near JeffersonJan: high 28°F, low 9°F, 1 in; Feb: high 33°F, low 13°F, 1.3 in; Mar: high 46°F, low 25°F, 2 in; Apr: high 60°F, low 36°F, 3.6 in; May: high 71°F, low 49°F, 5 in; Jun: high 81°F, low 59°F, 5.2 in; Jul: high 83°F, low 63°F, 4.4 in; Aug: high 81°F, low 60°F, 4.2 in; Sep: high 76°F, low 51°F, 3.1 in; Oct: high 63°F, low 39°F, 2.6 in; Nov: high 46°F, low 26°F, 1.7 in; Dec: high 33°F, low 16°F, 1.4 in28°9°Jan1.033°13°Feb1.346°25°Mar2.060°36°Apr3.671°49°May5.081°59°Jun5.283°63°Jul4.481°60°Aug4.276°51°Sep3.163°39°Oct2.646°26°Nov1.733°16°Dec1.4Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Jefferson, IA weather station (about a mile away).

Jobs in Greene County

2,957 jobs at 252 businesses in Greene County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Greene CountyManufacturing: 651 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 500 jobs; Wholesale trade: 445 jobs; Retail trade: 443 jobs; Administrative and support: 170 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 142 jobs; Other services: 139 jobs; Arts, entertainment and recreation: 134 jobsManufacturing 22% Health care and social assistance 17% Wholesale trade 15% Retail trade 15% Administrative and support 6% Hotels and restaurants 5% Other services 5% Arts, entertainment and recreation 5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

45 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Jefferson.

Nearest hospitals

  • Greene County Medical CenterCritical access hospital · emergency room · JeffersonUnder a mile
  • Dallas County HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Perry19.4 miles
  • Guthrie County HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Guthrie Center23.2 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors4
Specialist doctors2
Dentists4
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants8
Mental health providers10
Physical and occupational therapists7
Optometrists3
Chiropractors7
Pharmacies4

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Jefferson

Parks (8 nearby)

  • Henderson County Park · 40 acres1.6 mi
  • Daubendiek Park · 34 acres0.3 mi
  • Head Park · 10 acres0.8 mi
  • Kelso Park · 5 acres0.3 mi
  • Chautauqua Park · 4 acres0.4 mi
  • Russell Park · 4 acres0.8 mi

Grocery stores (2 nearby)

  • Hy-Vee0.9 mi
  • Fareway1.4 mi

Pharmacies (1 nearby)

  • Hy-Vee Pharmacy0.9 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Jefferson Public Library0.8 mi

Museums (2 nearby)

  • Jefferson Telephone Company Museum0.8 mi
  • Greene County Historical Museum0.9 mi

Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1855.

Notable people born here

  • George Gallup (1901) · American statistician (1901–1984)
  • Loren Shriver (1944) · American astronaut

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Jefferson

Public schools here are run by Greene County Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (3)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Greene County ElementaryJeffersonPre-K–4518Public1.0 mi
Greene County Middle SchoolJefferson5–8347Public0.9 mi
Greene County High SchoolJefferson9–12375Public1.6 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Towns near Jefferson

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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.