Population 1,199 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Jamaica Beach
Household size in Jamaica Beach
| Period | Jamaica Beach | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.03 | 2.96 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.98 | 3.00 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.03 | 2.98 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.80 | 2.91 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.23 | −0.05 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Jamaica Beach are small: just 1.80 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.03, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Jamaica Beach
| Period | Jamaica Beach | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.6 | 34.0 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 54.5 | 34.8 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 54.3 | 35.6 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 61.6 | 36.4 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +12.0 | +2.3 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Jamaica Beach skews older: half of its residents are older than 61.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Jamaica Beach
| Period | Jamaica Beach | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.9% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 13.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 13.5% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.6% of households in Jamaica Beach, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Jamaica Beach
Renters in Jamaica Beach
| Period | Jamaica Beach | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.7% | 36.6% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.7% | 38.6% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.0% | 39.5% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 9.2% | 38.8% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −16.5 pts | +2.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Jamaica Beach is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 9.2% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About six in ten owners (60.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Jamaica Beach
| Period | Jamaica Beach | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.7% | 11.3% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 71.0% | 10.1% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 70.8% | 9.3% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 62.1% | 8.6% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.5 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 62.1% of the housing in Jamaica Beach, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Jamaica Beach
| Period | Jamaica Beach | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1985 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1988 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1993 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +8 | +8 | +6 |
The housing in Jamaica Beach is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1984, against 1980 nationally. Even so, homes here are older than in the Houston area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1993.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Jamaica Beach
| Period | Jamaica Beach | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,125 | $1,018 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $871 | $1,103 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,219 | $1,300 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,172 | $1,649 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,047 | +$631 | +$639 | +$606 |
Rent in Jamaica Beach runs $2,172 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 40.5% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Jamaica Beach
Bachelor's degrees in Jamaica Beach
| Period | Jamaica Beach | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.4% | 29.2% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 45.8% | 30.4% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 50.3% | 32.5% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 61.6% | 35.9% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +18.2 pts | +6.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Jamaica Beach is highly educated: about six in ten adults 25 and older (61.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Jamaica Beach
| Period | Jamaica Beach | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 98.6% | 80.9% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 99.3% | 81.9% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.4% | 83.6% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.8% | 84.8% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +3.9 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Jamaica Beach: 98.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Jamaica Beach
| Period | Jamaica Beach | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 5.6% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 6.2% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Jamaica Beach: 6.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The Houston area as a whole looks much the same. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Jamaica Beach compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaica Beach | 1.80 | 61.6 | 2.6% | 9.2% | 62.1% | 1984 | $2,172 | 61.6% | 98.8% | 6.5% |
| Tiki Island | 1.96 | 58.1 | 1.9% | 4.5% | 46.9% | 1996 | $1,639 | 55.5% | 98.8% | 1.6% |
| Galveston | 2.05 | 41.6 | 10.0% | 53.9% | 21.8% | 1968 | $1,387 | 36.4% | 88.2% | 5.9% |
| Liverpool | 3.03 | 39.1 | 10.2% | 15.6% | 15.7% | 1995 | $1,453 | 19.9% | 83.3% | 2.3% |
| Danbury | 3.17 | 35.9 | 6.8% | 14.8% | 14.2% | 1982 | $1,493 | 15.2% | 86.3% | 5.8% |
| Bastrop Beach | 2.77 | 44.8 | 15.9% | 17.8% | 15.8% | 1976 | $1,064 | 17.6% | 87.9% | 6.9% |
| Bonney | 2.26 | 37.0 | 8.5% | 8.4% | 19.7% | 1998 | $1,131 | 7.0% | 77.6% | 11.7% |
| Angleton | 2.66 | 39.0 | 11.9% | 27.9% | 8.5% | 1982 | $1,190 | 22.0% | 87.8% | 3.4% |
| Richwood | 2.54 | 37.6 | 15.9% | 37.0% | 9.2% | 1982 | $1,481 | 25.9% | 86.1% | 9.2% |
| Clute | 2.53 | 32.3 | 20.6% | 47.3% | 17.0% | 1988 | $1,200 | 16.8% | 85.6% | 8.2% |
| Lake Jackson | 2.63 | 38.2 | 11.1% | 36.3% | 7.4% | 1982 | $1,504 | 28.1% | 92.3% | 6.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Big River, CA · Provencal, LA · Paris, ME · Parkers Chapel, AR · Pauline, TX · Pine Island, TX · Pinkney City, WA · Pintada, NM · Pioneer, LA · Plankinton, SD
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Jamaica Beach. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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