Jay County, Indiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jay County, IN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 74% of counties in Indiana
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 84% of counties in Indiana
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 95% of counties in Indiana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jay County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,223 | 6,845,048 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 52.7 | 188.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.58% | 0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,805 | 2,713,821 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jay County declined by 4.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,223 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jay County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.0% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Indiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,120 20.4% -1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,688 18.2% -2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,244 21.0% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,553 17.6% +0.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Indiana, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.3% of the people living in Jay County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Indiana 50.4%
- Men 49.7% Indiana 49.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Jay County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Jay County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Jay County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,874 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.84% | 4.54% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jay County is about 21% lower than in Indiana.
Housing
| Metric | Jay County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $75,839 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $769 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.9% | 70.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jay County is about 8.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $769 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jay County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 145 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jay County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.4 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.8 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 145 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,500 | $5,455 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.7% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,409 | 8,333 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 617 | 1,308 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Indiana:
Knox County (15.8 min), Howard County (15.9 min), Daviess County (16.3 min).
Slowest:
Crawford County (33.6 min), Brown County (32.6 min), Franklin County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Jay County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Indiana.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Jay County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Jay County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.3% | 26.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Indiana:
Hamilton County (0.4), Boone County (0.4), Monroe County (0.3).
Lowest:
LaGrange County (0.1), Crawford County (0.2), Switzerland County (0.2).
Health
Jay County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Jay County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.5 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.6% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.6% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Indiana:
Hamilton County (0.8), Monroe County (0.8), Boone County (0.8).
Lowest:
LaGrange County (0.8), Daviess County (0.8), Switzerland County (0.8).
Jay County, IN Compared With Nearby Counties
Jay County, IN is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 20,223 residents against a local median of 32,324. The measure that sets Jay County, IN apart most is median home price: $75,839, 36% below the local median of $118,495.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $56,874 against a local median of $68,099, 16% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 16% below the local median it puts Jay County, IN at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $120,498 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 household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay County, IN | 20,223 | $56,874 #5/5 | $75,839 #4/5 | 17.4 min #3/5 |
| Randolph County, IN | 24,387 | $60,625 | $94,318 | 20.6 min |
| Adams County, IN | 36,227 | $65,374 | $37,419 | 17.3 min |
| Wells County, IN | 28,420 | $70,823 | $157,916 | 20.4 min |
| Mercer County, OH | 42,484 | $77,000 | $142,672 | 16.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jay County, Indiana.
How big is Jay County, Indiana by population?
About 20,223 people live in Jay County, Indiana, in 7,805 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 38.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Jay County, Indiana?
Averaged over its land area, Jay County, Indiana has 53 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 61% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Jay County, Indiana an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($75,839 against $56,874), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $769 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Jay County, Indiana have a college degree?
12.3% of adults in Jay County, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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