Rainbow schlieren deflectometry (RSD) integrated with ultra high-speed digital imaging system is used to characterize a turbulent low-density jet through statistical description of path-integrated measurements. Unlike deconvoluted measurements, statistics of deflectometric data are free from approximations and can be utilized as benchmark to compare and validate path-integrated quantities derived from large-eddy and/or direct numerical simulations. Deflectometry techniques allow non-intrusive measurements to probe difficult to access near-field region of the jet exit. The experimental system consists of a helium jet discharged vertically into ambient air from a round tube injector of 4 mm inside diameter (d) and jet exit Reynolds number of 4000. Rainbow schlieren apparatus was configured to cover the near-field axial range of 0 to 20d downstream of injector exit at pixel resolution of 124 μm, temporal resolution of 20 μs, and image acquisition rate of 50,000 frames per second to capture a wide range of turbulent structures. Deflectometric measurements are utilized to estimate integral length scales, integral time scales, and wavenumber spectra at different locations in the flow field. Results show characteristics of a developing turbulent flow in the axial direction with gradual establishment of order. Space-time cross-correlation functions show that the Taylor's hypothesis of frozen flow turbulence is strictly not applicable in the nearfield. Two point cross-correlation functions in transverse direction represent high intensity fluctuations and possible noise source locations.