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Jay, NY

Town in Essex County, NY, US
Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

2,354
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

48.8
years ∙ half population younger than 48.8, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
6.8%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

3.8%
foreign-born population
96.2%Native
3.8% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Jay is a town in Essex County, New York, United States.
Location
Town in Essex County, NY, US
Co-ordinates
DEC44.377625° N, 73.696474° W
DMS44° 22′ 39.45″ N, 73° 41′ 47.31″ W

Population Density & area

34.77/sq mi (13.44/km²)
Total Area
68.1 sq mi (176.4 km²)
Land Area
67.7 sq mi (175.2 km²) · 99.34%
Water Area
0.4 sq mi (1.2 km²) · 0.66%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

55.3% male
Male 55.3%
Female 44.7%
males per 100 females
Jay 123.8
Essex County 106.4
New York 95.5

Nativity

3.8%
foreign-born population
96.2%Native
3.8% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Jay 3.8%
Essex County 4.1%
New York 22.8%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

48.8
years ∙ half population younger than 48.8, half older
Jay
48.8
Essex County
49.9
New York
39.8

Dependency ratio

Low High
70.3
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Jay 70.3
Essex County 71.9
New York 62.3

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Jay Essex County New York
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 16% 15.4% 20.5%
Working age (18-64) 58.7% 58.2% 61.6%
Senior (65+) 25.3% 26.4% 17.9%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 70.3 71.9 62.3
Child dependency ratio 27.2 26.5 33.2
Old-age dependency ratio 43.1 45.4 29.1
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
96.5%
Black
0%
Asian
0.1%
Hispanic
0.6%
Other
2.8%
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

Low High
6.8%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Jay 6.8%
Essex County 15.9%
New York 65.4%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Jay population
Jay Essex County New York
Hispanic or Latino 0.6% 2.9% 19.8%
Mexican 0.6% 0.3% 2.6%
Puerto Rican 0% 0.6% 5.1%
Cuban 0% 0% 0.4%
Other Hispanic / Latino 0% 1.9% 11.8%
Not Hispanic or Latino 99.4% 97.1% 80.2%
One race 97.7% 94.8% 76.4%
White 96.5% 91.6% 52.8%
Black or African American 0% 1.9% 13.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.1% 0.2% 0.2%
Asian 0.1% 0.6% 9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
Some Other Race 0.9% 0.6% 1%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 1.7% 2.3% 3.8%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

65.7% family
Family 65.7%
Non family 34.3%
% family households
Jay 65.7%
Essex County 59.8%
New York 61.4%

Average household size

2.38
persons per household
Jay
2.38
Essex County
2.12
New York
2.49

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Jay population
Jay Essex County New York
Total households 973 16,342 7,722,646
Average houshold size 2.38 2.12 2.49
Family households 639 9,777 4,738,075
Average family size 2.73 2.63 3.16
Married couple family 513 7,563 3,279,487
Other families 126 2,214 1,458,588
Male householder 37 728 398,169
Female householder 89 1,486 1,060,419
Non-family households 334 6,565 2,984,571
One-person households 255 5,447 2,398,170
Male householder 143 2,718 1,045,868
Senior (65+) living alone 74 1,235 332,696
Female householder 112 2,729 1,352,302
Senior (65+) living alone 52 1,632 673,031
Other living arrangements 79 1,118 586,401

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

1,567
housing units
Jay 1,567
Essex County 25,484
New York 8,585,241

Occupancy status

62.1% occupied
Occupied 62.1%
Vacant 37.9%
vacancy rate
Jay 37.9%
Essex County 35.9%
New York 10%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

91.6%
Single family houses
Single family houses
91.6%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
3.9%
Mobile homes
4.5%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1977
Half of houses were built before 1977, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
12.4%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
18.4%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
51.6%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
17.5%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Jay Essex County New York
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 5.5 5.6 5
1–3 rooms 17.1% 15.4% 24.3%
4–6 rooms 53.8% 50.9% 48.4%
7+ rooms 29% 33.8% 27.2%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 4.5% 2.5% 5.4%
1 bedroom 11% 11.1% 19%
2 bedrooms 28.5% 28.5% 26.6%
3 bedrooms 37% 36.6% 31.1%
4+ bedrooms 19.1% 21.2% 17.9%
At a glance
Median year built 1977 1971 1959
Total housing units 1,567 25,484 8,585,241
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

88.4% owners
Renter-occupied 11.6%
Owner-occupied 88.4%
homeownership rate
Jay 88.4%
Essex County 77.3%
New York 54.3%

Average household size

2.45
Owner-occupied
1.81
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Jay 2.45
Essex County 2.2
New York 2.66

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Jay Essex County New York
Total occupied units 973 16,342 7,722,646
Year moved in
2020 or later 18.2% 18.3% 20.5%
2010 to 2019 35% 34.1% 36.5%
2000 to 2009 21.8% 18.7% 17.8%
1999 or earlier 25% 28.9% 25.2%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 99.3% 99% 94.7%
1.01 to 1.50 0% 0.6% 3.1%
1.51 or more 0.7% 0.5% 2.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 2.3% 7.4% 29.2%
1 vehicle 34.2% 36% 33.6%
2 vehicles 43.6% 38.4% 25.4%
3 or more vehicles 19.9% 18.3% 11.8%
House heating fuel used
Gas 17.5% 20.8% 64%
Electricity 10.7% 21.1% 15.4%
Solar 0% 0.2% 0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 47.8% 45.1% 16.1%
All other fuels 24% 12.5% 2.8%
No fuel used 0% 0.3% 1.6%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.5% 0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 0.8% 0.8%
No telephone service available 2.1% 0.6% 0.9%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$196,900
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Jay
$196,900
Essex County
$211,900
New York
$423,800

Housing Cost Burden

30.2%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
30.2%
Owners without a mortgage
14.2%
Renters
27.4%
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Jay Essex County New York
Property value
Median Value $196,900 $211,900 $423,800
Under $100,000 9.4% 16.7% 9.5%
$100,000 - $200,000 42.7% 30.7% 15%
$200,000 - $300,000 23.6% 20.5% 13.2%
$300,000 - $500,000 14.8% 18.3% 19.7%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 8.3% 10.1% 30.1%
$1,000,000 and more 1.3% 3.8% 12.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 48.4% 46.1% 57.8%
Without a mortgage 51.6% 53.9% 42.2%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $1,392 $1,601 $2,555
Without a mortgage $720 $632 $958
Gross rent
Median rent $1,272 $934 $1,621

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

31.4%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Jay 31.4%
Essex County 32.8%
New York 40.2%

Adults without a high school diploma

4.3%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Jay 4.3%
Essex County 7.9%
New York 12%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

355
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
0%
K–12
88.7%
College / Undergraduate
7.6%
Graduate / Professional
3.7%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

12.5%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Jay
12.5%
Essex County
30.4%
New York
48.5%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Jay Essex County New York
Total enrolled (age 3+) 355 5,915 4,642,703
Nursery / preschool 0% 3.8% 6.1%
K–12 88.7% 77.3% 64.1%
Kindergarten 2.5% 2.3% 4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 16.9% 22.6% 18.7%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 44.5% 25.1% 20.1%
High School: Grades 9–12 24.8% 27.3% 20.4%
College or graduate school 11.3% 19% 29.8%
College, undergraduate 7.6% 15.2% 22.5%
Graduate, professional school 3.7% 3.7% 7.3%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 12.5% 30.4% 48.5%
School type
Public school 61.1% 81.9% 74.7%
Private school 38.9% 18.1% 25.3%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

1,882
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
3.1%
9th-12th, no diploma
1.2%
HS graduate
37.9%
Some college no degree
15.6%
Associates degree
10.9%
Bachelors degree
16.3%
Graduate or professional degree
15.1%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
48.3% · 51.7%
9th-12th, no diploma
100% · 0%
HS graduate
63% · 37%
Some college no degree
52.2% · 47.8%
Associates degree
56.6% · 43.4%
Bachelors degree
30.1% · 69.9%
Graduate or professional degree
45.6% · 54.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Jay Essex County New York
Population (25+) 1,882 29,098 14,017,184
Less than 9th grade 3.1% 2.1% 6%
9th–12th, no diploma 1.2% 5.8% 6%
High school diploma or GED 37.9% 32.6% 24.3%
Some college, no degree 15.6% 15.7% 14.6%
Associate's degree 10.9% 10.9% 8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher 31.4% 32.8% 40.2%
Bachelor's degree 16.3% 18.1% 22.4%
Graduate or professional 15.1% 14.7% 17.9%
High School or higher 95.7% 92.1% 88%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$43,651
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$30,625
HS graduate
$43,330
Some college or associates
$40,500
Bachelors degree
$49,392
Graduate or professional degree
$41,731

Poverty Rate

4.9%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
26.3%
HS graduate
8.3%
Some college or associates
5.6%
Bachelors degree or higher
4.9%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
Jay Essex County New York
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $43,651 $46,945 $57,966
Less than high school graduate $30,625 $33,700 $31,511
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $43,330 $41,334 $40,549
Some college or associate's degree $40,500 $45,755 $49,306
Bachelor's degree $49,392 $54,965 $76,052
Graduate or professional degree $41,731 $65,114 $95,435
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 26.3% 24.5% 28.1%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 8.3% 13% 16.8%
Some college or associate's degree 5.6% 11.5% 11.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher 4.9% 5.7% 5.3%

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