Jay County, Indiana Housing Market Prices
Jay County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 47% below the Indiana median Cheaper than 76% of counties in Indiana$75,839
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Median rent 28% below the Indiana median Cheaper than 86% of counties in Indiana$769
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Jay County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $75,839 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 49.8% | 7.2% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $769 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.3% | 4.3% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Jay County is about 47% lower than in Indiana. Rent is about 28% lower than the Indiana average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Jay County, up about 49.8% and 3.3% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Jay County rose about 33.7% between 2015 and 2024, from $575 to $769. Over the same span, rent in Indiana rose about 42.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.3 yearly household incomes in Jay County.
Buying the median-priced home in Jay County costs roughly 8.2 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Jay County. The price-to-rent ratio in Indiana is about 11.2.
| Metric | Jay County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $75,839 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $56,874 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Jay County rose about 41.9%, while median household income rose about 37.6% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Jay County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 70.1% | 64.4% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 17.6% | 26.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 12.3% | 8.8% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2011 | 2011 |
Jay County has a homeownership rate of 70.1%, higher than the Indiana average of 64.4%. Its housing vacancy rate is 12.3%, compared with 8.8% in Indiana.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Jay County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.56 people | 2.45 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1960 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.1 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Jay County was built around 1960. On average, 2.6 people live in a home with about 6.1 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Jay County, IN Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Jay County, IN is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 20,223 residents against a local median of 26,403. The measure that sets Jay County, IN apart most is median home price: $75,839, 36% below the local median of $118,495.
The counties themselves spread $141,458 on median home price, so Jay County, IN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jay County, IN has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay County, IN | 20,223 | $75,839 #4/5 | $769 #3/5 | 79.9% #1/5 |
| Randolph County, IN | 24,387 | $94,318 | $722 | 77.3% |
| Blackford County, IN | 11,950 | $16,458 | $698 | 73.9% |
| Wells County, IN | 28,420 | $157,916 | $813 | 75.6% |
| Mercer County, OH | 42,484 | $142,672 | $804 | 79.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Jay County, Indiana.
What is the median home price in Jay County, Indiana?
The median home price in Jay County, Indiana is $75,839, lower than the Indiana average of $142,738.
What is the average home price in Jay County, Indiana?
The typical home price in Jay County, Indiana, reported as the median sale price, is $75,839. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Jay County, Indiana?
The median gross rent in Jay County, Indiana is $769 per month, lower than the Indiana average of $1,062.
What was the median gross rent in Jay County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Jay County, Indiana was $684 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Jay County, Indiana?
The price-to-rent ratio in Jay County, Indiana is about 8.2, meaning it would take roughly 8.2 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Jay County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Jay County, Indiana?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Jay County, up about 49.8% and 3.3% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Jay County, Indiana?
70.1% of households in Jay County, Indiana own their home, higher than the Indiana average of 64.4%.
What is the vacancy rate in Jay County, Indiana?
The housing vacancy rate in Jay County, Indiana is 12.3%, higher than the Indiana average of 8.8%.
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