Town · Florida
Jay, Florida
Jay, town, in Santa Rosa County, Florida. Jay had 594 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 12.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 524 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 796 (±320). GEOID 1235425.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
594
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 524 · ACS 2020-2024: 796 ±320
Median household income
$48,359
±$20,763 (90% margin)
Florida: $74,568
Median home value
$150,800
±$101,708 (90% margin)
Florida: $359,000
Median gross rent
$1,117
±$128 (90% margin)
Florida: $1,669
Where is Jay and what county is it in?
Jay is a town in Santa Rosa County, Florida. It covers 1.7 square miles of land, 316 residents per square mile in 2020.
Jay is in the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Jay, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 594 people lived in Jay on July 1, 2025, up 12.9% since 2020, faster than Florida (+8.9%). The 2020 Census counted 524 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 796 (±320).
| Measure | Jay | Santa Rosa County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 796 ±320 | 198,472 | +373 |
| Households | 301 ±119 | 72,605 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.64 ±0.47 | 2.67 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 366 ±120 | 80,002 | no clear change |
Jay's population since 2000
From 579 in 2000 to 594 in 2025: up 2.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Jay as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Jay?
The median resident of Jay is 30.8 years old; 27.4% are under 18 and 9.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.1%.
| Measure | Jay | Santa Rosa County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.8 ±9.8 | 40.1 | −20.4 |
| Under 18 years | 27.4% ±11.7 pts | 21.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 9.5% ±5.2 pts | 16.7% | – |
| Male | 51.4% ±7.8 pts | 51.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.0% ±1.6 pts | 6.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.6% ±5.2 pts | 78.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.0% ±2.7 pts | 1.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.1% ±4.1 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.4% ±1.8 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.8% ±1.4 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.6% ±5.2 pts | 16.5% | – |
| With a disability | 12.3% ±7.1 pts | 15.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.7% ±6.9 pts | 10.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 72.8% ±23.5 pts | 93.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.8% ±8.3 pts | 32.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.3% ±4.3 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 72.8% ±14.5 pts | 84.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 5.3% ±7.7 pts | 4.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Jay earn?
Half of Jay's 301 households earn less than $48,359 a year (±$20,763), against $91,922 in Santa Rosa County and $74,568 in Florida. In 2015-2019 it was $44,955 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 26.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Jay | Santa Rosa County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,359 ±$20,763 | $91,922 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $57,416 ±$15,803 | $114,225 | – |
| Per capita income | $22,633 ±$6,553 | $42,760 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 26.6% ±13.8 pts | 8.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 36.7% ±31.1 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 33.6% ±16.9 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.0% ±2.7 pts | 96.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 96.3% ±2.7 pts | 93.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Jay?
Owners occupy 38.2% of Jay's occupied homes and renters 61.8%. The median renter pays $1,117 a month including utilities, and 33.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Jay | Santa Rosa County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $150,800 ±$101,708 | $329,800 | – |
| Median gross rent | $1,117 ±$128 | $1,544 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 33.3% ±20.4 pts | 31.7% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,408 ±$106 | $1,855 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 38.2% ±12.3 pts | 80.6% | −19.0 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 61.8% ±12.3 pts | 19.4% | – |
| Housing units | 366 ±120 | 80,002 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.7% ±2.9 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.9% ±9.1 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 66.7% ±14.4 pts | 80.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 12.0% ±9.0 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±13.3 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 12.0% ±9.5 pts | 17.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 5.2% ±5.1 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.0% ±4.5 pts | 3.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Jay work and get to work?
77.4% of Jay's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 38.3 minutes.
| Measure | Jay | Santa Rosa County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.1% ±10.6 pts | 59.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 10.8% ±11.2 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 77.4% ±11.8 pts | 76.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 15.1% ±9.4 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±17.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±17.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.6% ±3.9 pts | 12.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 38.3 min ±11.0 | 30.5 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Jay?
No census tract lies mostly in Jay; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 102Santa Rosa County | 4,879 | $85,885 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Jay) · Census block assignment files
How does Jay compare with other places in Florida?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Jay is the 12,500th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 361st-most populous of 411 in Florida.
Jay is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 361st | 411 |
Jay's figures with every place in Florida (CSV)
Every place in Florida, sortable · Compare Jay with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Jay?
25 of the 57 figures for Jay on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Jay are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Jay.