Living & Working in Jefferson County

Living & Working in Jefferson County

While you may find yourself discovering the ways Jefferson County offers a plethora of ideas and experiences for tourists, did you also know we are a great place to run a business and raise a family?

Residents who live in Jefferson County have varied stories. Some have lived here for generations; others are new to the area; each creating lifelong memories. But there are some familiar themes we hear on a regular basis here in Jefferson County: we’re family-friendly, exude small-town charm, offer a lower cost of living, are a prime location between Madison & Milwaukee, provide so many options for things to do, and deliver smart growth.

And it is because of these themes, communities within Jefferson County have continued to see population growth, as well as a surge in interested businesses coming to the area. Our population as of 2019 was nearly 85,000; an over 11% jump from 2000.

Business leaders tout the area as having a highly skilled, large labor basin of more than 700,000 when stretching from Waukesha to Madison and Fond du Lac to Janesville. And our workforce ranks high on work ethic, as well as being available for advanced manufacturing, food and beverage processing, animal health, and human healthcare.

And with high ranks in education and healthcare, Jefferson County is the ideal place to live and work. It’s no wonder we’re thriving!

Some fun facts:

  • Did you know Jefferson County is home to TREK Bicycle Corporation’s World Headquarters in Waterloo, and its Global Distribution Center in Johnson Creek? And did you know they employee over 1,000 people in Jefferson County? Plus TREK offers tours at their Waterloo location and draw tourist from all over the world. 
  • Did you know over a dozen artists live and work in their local Jefferson County studios and offer a yearly self-guided art tour in Jefferson County called the Earth, Wood, and Fire Artist Tour
  • Did you know Johnson Creek Premium Outlets features more than 60 sought-after brand stores and draws tourists from not only the region, but from oversees?
  • Did you know Berres Brothers Coffee Roasters started in Watertown in 1970 and may currently be found in retail and coffeehouses around the Midwest? And did you know they roasted a record number of over a million pounds of coffee in 2007?

For more information on businesses and economic development in Jefferson County, please visit Thrive Economic Development, which is a 501c3 non-profit organization supported by a coalition of area business and community and civic leaders and is dedicated to working toward prosperity in Jefferson and Dodge counties.

Katie was the Tourism & Communications Director for the Village of Johnson Creek and served as the President of the Jefferson County Tourism Council. She now calls the UW-Madison’s Global Health Institute home continuing a great public relations and marketing career that includes some of Milwaukee and Northern California's most sought after tourism attractions such as the Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee Betty Brinn Children's Museum, Milwaukee Chamber Theater, and the Sonoma County Museum. Her agency work also afforded her the opportunity to work with an array of clients including McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Gitano Jeanswear's sponsorship of Shania Twain's Tour, and many more. She is also an author, having penned the children's book, Balthazar the Pink, with her two sons.

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Winners of local gift cards

Congratulations to our March Winner!

Shannon K. from Jefferson, WI
won a $25 gift certificate to Sprouting Acres!

  • Fort HealthCare
  • Fort Community Credit Union
    Madison Classics Car Shows
    Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival
    WSLD 104.5 Country Radio Station
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