Population 292 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Jamaica
Household size in Jamaica
| Period | Jamaica | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.32 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.10 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.38 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Jamaica is a place of small households, averaging 2.10 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.48, 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
| Period | Jamaica | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.7 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 49.2 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.3 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 55.9 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +15.2 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Jamaica skews older: half of its residents are older than 55.9, 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
| Period | Jamaica | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.8% of households in Jamaica, 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
Renters in Jamaica
| Period | Jamaica | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.8% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.9% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Jamaica is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.9% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than half of owners (54.9%) 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
| Period | Jamaica | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.4% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.3% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 33.4% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.4% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 28.4% of the housing in Jamaica, 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
| Period | Jamaica | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1967 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Jamaica run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1974 against 1980.
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
| Period | Jamaica | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $474 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $595 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $633 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $716 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$242 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Jamaica pays $716 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 26.1% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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
Bachelor's degrees in Jamaica
| Period | Jamaica | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.5% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.2% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.0% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.0% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over three in ten adults 25 and older in Jamaica (31.0%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below 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
| Period | Jamaica | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.7% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.7% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.6% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.2% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Jamaica: 96.2% 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
| Period | Jamaica | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.1% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.7% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Jamaica has been low: just 2.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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 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 | 2.10 | 55.9 | 3.8% | 13.9% | 28.4% | 1974 | $716 | 31.0% | 96.2% | 2.7% |
| Herndon | 2.25 | 49.8 | 6.5% | 25.5% | 19.8% | 1968 | $712 | 26.3% | 94.9% | 0.7% |
| Dawson | 2.53 | 42.9 | 7.0% | 17.2% | 8.8% | 1960 | $1,259 | 27.2% | 95.2% | 6.3% |
| Yale | 2.34 | 46.9 | 4.6% | 11.7% | 27.3% | 1975 | $1,253 | 32.5% | 97.6% | 0.7% |
| Bagley | 2.05 | 56.4 | 4.3% | 16.7% | 28.8% | 1975 | $601 | 29.5% | 96.3% | 1.7% |
| Rippey | 2.40 | 40.1 | 10.7% | 25.1% | 11.0% | 1949 | $834 | 19.5% | 94.6% | 4.3% |
| Panora | 2.37 | 44.9 | 11.0% | 17.3% | 27.6% | 1975 | $1,028 | 26.6% | 97.2% | 3.7% |
| Perry | 2.48 | 39.9 | 8.4% | 33.2% | 9.6% | 1955 | $944 | 17.6% | 86.1% | 3.9% |
| Linden | 2.53 | 43.7 | 6.2% | 15.5% | 10.9% | 1963 | $1,304 | 28.7% | 95.5% | 5.8% |
| Jefferson | 2.03 | 52.1 | 6.2% | 21.8% | 9.5% | 1956 | $788 | 22.7% | 93.2% | 1.2% |
| Bayard | 2.22 | 44.3 | 6.7% | 18.1% | 13.1% | 1943 | $857 | 23.7% | 96.6% | 2.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Elmo, TX · Evergreen Hills, WV · Evansville, VT · Evansville, AL · Euclid, MN · Esto, KY · Ericson, NE · English, KY · Emerald, WI · Emeigh, PA
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. 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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