Town · Maine
Jay, Maine
Jay, town, in Franklin County, Maine. Jay had 4,639 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 4,620 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,657 (±12). GEOID 2300735625.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
4,639
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 4,620 · ACS 2020-2024: 4,657 ±12
Median household income
$70,238
±$19,162 (90% margin)
Maine: $74,733
Median home value
$168,600
±$26,581 (90% margin)
Maine: $296,600
Median gross rent
$759
±$141 (90% margin)
Maine: $1,139
Where is Jay and what county is it in?
Jay is a town in Franklin County, Maine. It covers 48.4 square miles of land, 95 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Jay: Chisholm (CDP, 1,343 in 2020).
Jay is the same area as Census Tract 9714 of Franklin County: the tract's figures are Jay's own.
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 4,639 people lived in Jay on July 1, 2025, up 0.4% since 2020, slower than Maine (+3.8%). The 2020 Census counted 4,620 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 4,657 (±12).
| Measure | Jay | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,657±12 | 30,413 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,808±201 | 12,675 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.57±0.28 | 2.30 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,948±206 | 21,234 | no clear change |
Jay's population since 2000
From 4,985 in 2000 to 4,639 in 2025: down 6.9%. 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 39.5 years old; 17.5% are under 18 and 19.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 98.2%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 0.8%.
| Measure | Jay | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.5±5.1 | 46.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.5%±3.7 pts | 17.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.3%±4.2 pts | 23.7% | – |
| Male | 51.2%±5.5 pts | 49.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0%±0.6 pts | 1.7% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 98.2%±1.3 pts | 93.1% | +3.6 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.8%±1.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1%±0.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.8%±0.8 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.4%±2.1 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.7%±1.7 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.1%±2.6 pts | 8.1% | – |
| With a disability | 15.5%±4.7 pts | 19.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.1%±3.6 pts | 7.9% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.7%±4.4 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.7%±9.5 pts | 32.0% | +14.6 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.5%±4.7 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.5%±3.5 pts | 88.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.5%±0.9 pts | 2.6% | – |
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 1,808 households earn less than $70,238 a year (±$19,162), against $58,675 in Franklin County and $74,733 in Maine. In 2015-2019 it was $73,143 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Jay | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,238±$19,162 | $58,675 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $78,207±$9,806 | $80,070 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,921±$4,304 | $34,978 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.8%±4.2 pts | 12.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 6.2%±9.1 pts | 13.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.4%±6.4 pts | 15.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.0%±4.0 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.3%±7.0 pts | 85.1% | – |
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 82.7% of Jay's occupied homes and renters 17.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,600 by its owner (±$26,581). The median renter pays $759 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Jay | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $168,600±$26,581 | $194,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $759±$141 | $802 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 18.8%±26.8 pts | 31.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,212±$192 | $1,327 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.7%±6.7 pts | 76.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 17.3%±6.7 pts | 23.7% | – |
| Housing units | 1,948±206 | 21,234 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±8.1 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.1%±9.8 pts | 74.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 17.1%±9.1 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±1.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 11.7%±7.5 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 12.4%±6.9 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.9%±2.0 pts | 9.2% | – |
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?
83.6% of Jay's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.3 minutes.
| Measure | Jay | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.1%±6.4 pts | 56.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8%±4.7 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.6%±9.5 pts | 72.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.2%±4.3 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 2.8%±2.8 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.8%±5.9 pts | 13.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.3 min±2.8 | 26.8 min | −17.1 min |
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?
1 census tract lies mostly in Jay (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9714Franklin County | 4,657 | $70,238 |
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 Maine?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Jay is the 2,458th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 57th-most populous of 454 in Maine.
Jay ranks 183rd of 349 places in Maine with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 57th | 454 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 228th | 273 |
| Residents per square mile | 198th | 353 |
| Median household income | 183rd | 349 |
| Per capita income | 270th | 353 |
| Median home value | 280th | 352 |
| Median gross rent | 263rd | 301 |
| Poverty rate | 163rd | 277 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 179th | 352 |
| Median age | 309th | 353 |
| Owner-occupied share | 156th | 353 |
| Travel time to work | 257th | 352 |
Jay's figures with every place in Maine (CSV)
Every place in Maine, 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?
20 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' school search.