The Town FilesJefferson, Maine
Town in Lincoln County · population 2,551 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $311,600
- Household income
- $85,078
- Jan low / Jul high
- 15° / 78°
- Snow a year
- 79 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 38.1
Jefferson is a town of 2,551 people in Lincoln County, Maine. The median home is worth $311,600, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks better for families than 92% of Maine towns, better for a vacation home than 81% of Maine towns, easier by car than 79% of Maine towns.
How Jefferson ranks
Percentile among Maine towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Maine towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Jefferson is worth $311,600, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 3.7 times the median household income of $85,078, which is more affordable than 43% of Maine towns. Median rent is $1,120 a month. 83.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Jefferson | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $311,600 | $238,950 |
| Median rent | $1,120 | $1,027 |
| Median household income | $85,078 | $68,967 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.7× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 83.8% | 82.4% |
| Median year built | 1987 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 34.4% | — |
Who lives in Jefferson
| People | Jefferson | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.1 | 46.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.7% | 22.9% |
| Under 18 | 28.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.6% | 28.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.4% | 10.7% |
| Veterans | 10.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.9% | — |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 12.3% |
| Average commute | 30.2 min | 25.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 82.5% | 90.0% |
Weather in Jefferson
July highs average 78.3°F and January lows 14.7°F. About 49.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 78.7 inches of snow (typical Maine town: 77.2 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 142 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Jefferson since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Maine town. The strongest, an F1, struck on September 14, 1956 about 9.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 8, 1958.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 6 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on June 20, 1960.
Severe weather in Lincoln County since 1996
Lincoln County has been included in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4764: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| September 14, 2023 | Hurricane | EM-3598: Hurricane Lee |
| July 6, 2023 | Flood | DR-4719: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| April 4, 2020 | Biological | DR-4522: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3444: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Lincoln County
Lincoln County had 11,252 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,238 a year. Unemployment was 2.8% in 2023; in Jefferson itself the ACS puts it at 5.9%.
Public schools in Jefferson
1 public school with 235 students, about 11.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Village School | K-8 | 235 | 11.8 |
Towns near Jefferson
- Waldoboro, ME7.4 mi · 5,154 people · home $274,900
- Pittston, ME9.4 mi · 2,875 people · home $238,700
- Windsor, ME10.3 mi · 2,632 people · home $228,800
- Chelsea, ME12.5 mi · 2,778 people · home $182,300
- Warren, ME13.8 mi · 4,865 people · home $232,700
- Wiscasset, ME13.9 mi · 3,742 people · home $325,200
- Gardiner, ME13.9 mi · 5,961 people · home $221,600
- Augusta, ME15.7 mi · 18,899 people · home $201,000
Jefferson questions
Is Jefferson, Maine a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Jefferson scores better for retirees than 54% of Maine towns and quieter than 43%. 18.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.1).
How much does a house cost in Jefferson?
The median owner-occupied home in Jefferson is valued at $311,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $85,078, so homes cost about 3.7 times income. Median rent is $1,120 a month.
What is the weather like in Jefferson?
July highs average 78.3°F and January lows 14.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 49.2 inches of precipitation a year and 78.7 inches of snow.
Does Jefferson get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Jefferson since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on September 14, 1956. The typical Maine town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)