Jay, Florida

2026 Edition · 10 cards · data as of Oct 30, 2026

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  1. Population

    Growing. Up 12.3% since 2020.

    594

    people, the 361st-largest of Florida's cities and towns.

    Census Population Estimates, 2025. Rank among Florida's cities and towns computed by the Almanac. Sources: Census Population Estimates

  2. The workday

    Nearly every job here goes to someone who lives somewhere else.

    98.3%

    of 530 jobs located in Jay are filled by in-commuters.

    Census LEHD LODES, 2023. Sources: Census LEHD LODES

  3. Rent

    Median rent is up 55% since the 2005–2009 survey, before inflation.

    $1,117

    a month. Florida's median is $1,669.

    Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024 (latest), with earlier 5-year windows. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

  4. The seam

    Cross one tract line and median rent doubles.

    A $1,672 gap between neighbors, the sharpest rent edge between adjacent tracts in Santa Rosa County.

    • $986 Tract 107.05
    • $2,658 Tract 107.07

    Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024, adjacent tracts compared by the Almanac. Tract estimates carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

  5. Room to build

    The median rent sits inside what local wages can carry.

    $920–$1,381

    is the monthly rent range local workforce wages support.

    • $1,117 median

    Supportable rent computed by the Almanac from 2023 source wage data. Median rent: Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Computed by the Almanac, Census ACS 5-year

  6. Building

    Most of the housing here is older than 2000.

    • 78% of all homes were built before 2000

    Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

  7. Units needed

    Closing the gap would add 0.3–1.4% to the 366 homes here.

    1–5

    is the estimated number of missing housing units, from the lowest to the highest of three estimates.

    Range computed by the Almanac from 2023 jobs and household data, using three demand models: 1% of jobs located here, 1% of renter households, and a rate by town size applied to renters. The low end is the lowest of the three and the high end the highest. It is an estimate, not a count. Sources: Computed by the Almanac

  8. Home value

    A median home costs 58% less than Florida's.

    $150,800

    median home value in Jay.

    • $150,800 Jay
    • $359,000 Florida
    • $332,700 U.S.

    Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

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