Town · Vermont
Jay, Vermont
Jay, town, in Orleans County, Vermont. Jay had 539 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 551 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 471 (±130). GEOID 5001936325.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
539
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 551 · ACS 2020-2024: 471 ±130
Median household income
$74,792
±$24,785 (90% margin)
Vermont: $81,203
Median home value
$234,200
±$44,951 (90% margin)
Vermont: $316,600
Median gross rent
not published
Vermont: $1,234
Where is Jay and what county is it in?
Jay is a town in Orleans County, Vermont. It covers 33.9 square miles of land, 16 residents per square mile in 2020.
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 539 people lived in Jay on July 1, 2025, down 2.4% since 2020, while Vermont grew 0.2%. The 2020 Census counted 551 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 471 (±130).
| Measure | Jay | Orleans County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 471±130 | 27,606 | no clear change |
| Households | 232±60 | 12,072 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.03±0.31 | 2.22 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 888±93 | 16,751 | no clear change |
Jay's population since 2000
From 426 in 2000 to 539 in 2025: up 26.5%. 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 52.1 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 5.7%.
| Measure | Jay | Orleans County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.1±10.5 | 45.7 | +14.3 |
| Under 18 years | 14.2%±9.6 pts | 19.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.5%±7.4 pts | 23.9% | – |
| Male | 51.4%±6.1 pts | 50.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0%±5.2 pts | 1.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.1%±6.0 pts | 92.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.2 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.1%±3.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.7%±4.5 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.2%±4.2 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.3%±4.1 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.7%±2.2 pts | 8.9% | – |
| With a disability | 15.5%±7.2 pts | 17.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.5%±3.5 pts | 4.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.5%±6.5 pts | 92.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 45.1%±11.5 pts | 30.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 16.8%±8.4 pts | 12.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.9%±10.0 pts | 88.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 15.7%±9.7 pts | 3.6% | – |
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 232 households earn less than $74,792 a year (±$24,785), against $70,103 in Orleans County and $81,203 in Vermont. In 2015-2019 it was $86,808 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Jay | Orleans County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,792±$24,785 | $70,103 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $137,020±$53,642 | $91,659 | – |
| Per capita income | $64,995±$25,160 | $40,041 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 8.7%±4.6 pts | 11.7% | +5.4 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 3.0%±7.2 pts | 14.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.5%±10.1 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 86.6%±11.0 pts | 93.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.1%±10.9 pts | 89.0% | – |
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 97.0% of Jay's occupied homes and renters 3.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $234,200 by its owner (±$44,951).
| Measure | Jay | Orleans County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $234,200±$44,951 | $223,400 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 40.0%±60.0 pts | 35.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,568±$400 | $1,654 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 97.0%±3.1 pts | 79.7% | +8.5 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 3.0%±3.1 pts | 20.3% | – |
| Housing units | 888±93 | 16,751 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.0%±5.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±54.2 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 45.0%±5.9 pts | 76.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.2%±1.1 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.0%±1.4 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 19.3%±5.8 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 5.0%±2.6 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.8%±9.8 pts | 6.4% | – |
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 many new homes is Jay building?
Builders took permits for 3 new housing units in Jay in 2025 (3 in single-family houses), 5.6 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Vermont.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Jay work and get to work?
67.3% of Jay's workers drive alone and 27.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 39.6 minutes.
| Measure | Jay | Orleans County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.1%±11.9 pts | 61.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5%±3.3 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 67.3%±11.6 pts | 73.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.1%±5.3 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±9.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0%±9.7 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 27.3%±11.7 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 39.6 min±19.1 | 29.0 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 9516Orleans County | 4,357 | $77,212 |
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 Vermont?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Jay is the 9,816th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 204th-most populous of 237 in Vermont.
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 | 204th | 237 |
Jay's figures with every place in Vermont (CSV)
Every place in Vermont, 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?
23 of the 56 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.