Population 222,402 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Jamaica
Household size in Jamaica
| Period | Jamaica | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.00 | 2.92 | 2.79 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.23 | 3.00 | 2.85 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.30 | 3.03 | 2.82 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.12 | 2.88 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.11 | −0.03 | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Jamaica is a place of big households: 3.12 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 3.00, even as the national average fell.
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 | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.7 | 37.8 | 38.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.5 | 38.4 | 38.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.7 | 39.9 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.4 | 41.4 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.8 | +3.7 | +2.4 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Jamaica are younger than 39.4 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in Queens as a whole, where the median age is 41.4. The median age has climbed from 36.7 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 13.3% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.7% | 12.9% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 11.7% | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Jamaica (14.2%), above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.5 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 54.5% | 54.5% | 47.1% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 57.7% | 56.2% | 48.7% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 56.6% | 55.2% | 48.8% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 56.6% | 55.1% | 48.6% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +0.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Jamaica: 56.6% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 39.4% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.1 points, in line with the national trend.
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 | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 8.4% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 8.2% | 9.0% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 10.1% | 9.1% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 8.4% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −0.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Jamaica than nationally: 7.5%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Queens as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.0 points, as it has nationally.
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 | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1950 | 1950 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1953 | 1952 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1952 | 1952 | 1959 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1958 | 1955 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Jamaica is a place of older homes: half were built before 1958, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1950 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the center, while the southwest has the oldest housing.
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 | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,183 | $1,239 | $1,268 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,312 | $1,385 | $1,377 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,572 | $1,637 | $1,645 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,990 | $2,042 | $2,060 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$807 | +$803 | +$792 | +$698 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Jamaica costs $1,990 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $807 a month since 2006–10, up 68%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 35.4% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the southeast.
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 | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.2% | 29.0% | 35.0% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.1% | 29.9% | 36.7% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.1% | 31.8% | 39.9% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.3% | 36.1% | 43.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +7.1 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Jamaica (29.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 4.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the southeast.
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 | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 76.9% | 79.6% | 83.7% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.8% | 80.0% | 84.6% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.1% | 81.7% | 86.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.8% | 82.3% | 86.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +2.8 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in five adults in Jamaica never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 1.9 points, mirroring the country. Jamaica has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Queens neighborhoods.
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 | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 8.7% | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 7.2% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Jamaica: 10.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Few Queens neighborhoods have higher unemployment: only three of 47. 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 neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaica | 3.12 | 39.4 | 14.2% | 56.6% | 7.5% | 1958 | $1,990 | 29.3% | 78.8% | 10.4% |
| Kew Ggardens | 2.67 | 40.8 | 10.9% | 53.7% | 6.7% | 1954 | $1,936 | 47.0% | 86.5% | 5.9% |
| Fresh Meadows | 2.75 | 44.5 | 7.1% | 44.4% | 5.6% | 1955 | $2,219 | 52.2% | 88.5% | 4.0% |
| Hollis | 3.05 | 41.7 | 11.1% | 52.0% | 6.7% | 1946 | $1,790 | 29.0% | 81.3% | 8.8% |
| Richmond Hill | 3.56 | 41.0 | 10.8% | 43.7% | 4.6% | 1940 | $2,003 | 23.4% | 74.2% | 8.4% |
| Locust Manor | 3.27 | 39.0 | 21.1% | 40.8% | 8.4% | 1953 | $1,907 | 21.2% | 84.1% | 10.2% |
| St Albans | 3.35 | 40.5 | 19.1% | 27.6% | 7.3% | 1943 | $1,770 | 26.4% | 88.8% | 6.0% |
| South Ozone Park | 3.47 | 42.3 | 13.8% | 29.9% | 6.1% | 1947 | $2,141 | 22.5% | 79.6% | 9.7% |
| Rochdale Village | 2.82 | 40.5 | 20.7% | 67.3% | 6.1% | 1962 | $1,565 | 28.1% | 90.9% | 7.3% |
| Forest Hills | 2.41 | 44.8 | 5.9% | 49.9% | 5.4% | 1951 | $2,239 | 59.9% | 92.8% | 3.8% |
| Queens Village | 3.21 | 46.4 | 10.5% | 25.9% | 5.6% | 1945 | $1,923 | 33.1% | 85.5% | 8.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Southeast, Houston, TX · North Last Vegas, North Las Vegas, NV · North Scottsdale, Scottsdale, AZ · Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY · Washington Heights, Manhattan, NY · Upper West Side, Manhattan, NY · Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY · Spring Branch, Houston, TX · South Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA · Northland, Columbus, OH
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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