Population 3,940 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Jay
Household size in Jay
| Period | Jay | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.37 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.73 | 2.36 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.35 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.53 | 2.30 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.10 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in Jay run a little small, averaging 2.53 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Still, the typical household here is bigger than in Maine as a whole, where it has 2.30 people. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.44, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Jay
| Period | Jay | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.0 | 42.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.5 | 43.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.6 | 45.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.7 | 45.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.7 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
Jay skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.7, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The picture is much the same across Maine.
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 Jay
| Period | Jay | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 9.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Jay than nationally: 10.4%, against 11.6%. Still, single parents are more common here than in Maine overall (8.8%).
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 Jay
Renters in Jay
| Period | Jay | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.6% | 26.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 28.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.8% | 27.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.3% | 25.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −8.2 pts | −1.2 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 18.3% of households in Jay rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About half of owners (51.0%) 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 Jay
| Period | Jay | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 17.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.3% | 18.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 19.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 16.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Jay than nationally: 13.1%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Still, the rate is lower than in Maine overall (16.4%).
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 Jay
| Period | Jay | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1968 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +6 | +6 |
Housing in Jay leans older: the median home dates to 1972, against 1980 nationally. Maine as a whole looks much the same.
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 Jay
| Period | Jay | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $653 | $766 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $616 | $831 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $566 | $919 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $767 | $1,230 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$113 | +$464 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Jay costs $767 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 17.4% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Jay
Bachelor's degrees in Jay
| Period | Jay | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.5% | 36.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.7 pts | +9.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in Jay (27.5%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, 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 Jay
| Period | Jay | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.9% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.1% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.1% | 92.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.7% | 94.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Jay have finished high school as nationally: 90.7%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Maine as a whole (94.8%).
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 Jay
| Period | Jay | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 6.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 7.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 3.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Jay is the same as the national rate: 5.4% of the labor force. The rate is higher than in Maine overall (3.9%). 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).
Jay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay | 2.53 | 44.7 | 10.4% | 18.3% | 13.1% | 1972 | $767 | 27.5% | 90.7% | 5.4% |
| Canton Point | 2.98 | 43.1 | 11.5% | 17.7% | 24.4% | 1974 | $536 | 23.4% | 84.8% | 7.9% |
| Dryden | 2.55 | 42.6 | 12.3% | 14.0% | 14.0% | 1979 | $678 | 31.9% | 94.4% | 3.4% |
| Livermore Falls | 2.05 | 41.3 | 10.8% | 31.3% | 13.3% | 1976 | $932 | 19.2% | 92.0% | 5.9% |
| East Dixfield | 2.64 | 40.7 | 8.2% | 14.6% | 17.2% | 1974 | $726 | 21.0% | 91.2% | 4.6% |
| North Livermore | 2.14 | 53.9 | 6.1% | 15.5% | 18.9% | 1986 | $1,025 | 29.5% | 95.7% | 10.0% |
| Wilton | 2.39 | 47.0 | 6.1% | 20.1% | 20.1% | 1967 | $507 | 31.4% | 97.7% | 8.0% |
| Chesterville | 2.94 | 38.3 | 4.0% | 13.0% | 35.6% | 1979 | $1,076 | 21.9% | 89.1% | 2.8% |
| East Wilton | 2.44 | 50.6 | 5.3% | 18.5% | 15.1% | 1972 | $469 | 35.0% | 97.5% | 13.0% |
| Canton | 3.06 | 41.5 | 11.1% | 15.6% | 27.2% | 1977 | $524 | 22.8% | 86.1% | 5.1% |
| East Livermore | 2.04 | 40.3 | 9.4% | 33.9% | 17.1% | 1972 | $880 | 22.0% | 91.4% | 0.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Zwolle, LA · Wrightsville Beach, NC · Wrightwood, CA · Zephyrhills South, FL · Zebulon, GA · Yuma, CO · Forsyth, MO · Fort Shawnee, OH · Fort Rucker, AL · Proctor, MN
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 Jay. 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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