![Florida [Hamilton County - Sarasota County (part)]](https://images.townratings.com/story/2149/de7067c1721bb52204dd-l.jpg)
Florida [Hamilton County - Sarasota County (part)], 1940
Jay’s story
124 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1940.
- 1902Jay is settled
JayFL
Settled in 1902, this town now has 594 residents.
Population
594
2025 Census estimate · +12.9% since 2020
Typical home
$279K
+6.1% in a year
Household income
$48K
median
Median age
30.8
years
Jobs based here
498
A job hub
Is Jay a good place to live?
27% of residents live below the poverty line in Jay, against 11% in Florida’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 2 of the 639 Florida towns we compare have a lower January low than Jay. The biggest park or preserve is Bray Park, at 25 acres. Jay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Jay stand out
Where Jay beats most towns.
Small town
594 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Jay: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jay, and how to reach them.
PowerEscambia River Elec Coop15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterJay, Town of - Utilities Dept.No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Jay’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Florida you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSanta Rosa Supervisor of ElectionsSanta Rosa County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2023
ZIP code3256532565 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Jay.
Work & commute
Jay stands out in Florida and nationally, with the average trip to work longer than most
The top destinations are Pensacola (13%), Milton (11%) and Pace (6%). For Jay, the middle household income is $48,000. Also worth knowing: only 4% of working residents stay in Jay for work; the rest commute out. Employers in Jay added 56 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 498.
4%work in town
| Jay | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 38 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 5% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Jay4%
Pensacola13%
Milton11%
Pace6%
Ferry Pass5%
30 mi
median commute distance
498
jobs based in Jay
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Jay’s kids attend
The public schools here belong to the Santa Rosa school district. The largest public high school is Jay High School, with 498 students. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jay Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 472 | A− |
| Jay High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 498 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Jay is hurricanes, at a very high overall level
Of the losses FEMA expects in Jay, 63% come from hurricanes and 17% from inland flooding. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 87% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Jay households in 6 declared disasters; the latest was in 2020.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Jay home at about $279K
Jay’s going rate for rent is $1,117 a month. Values rose 6.1% in the 12 months to September 2026. The share of households in Jay who live in a home they own: 38%.
$279KZillow home value
| Jay | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 38% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,117 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Jay$279K
Florida$375K
+6.1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Expect mild winters and hot summers in Jay
July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–64°
Spring54–79°
Summer70–91°
Fall56–79°
Nov 15
typical first frost
Mar 10
typical last frost
+0.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Jay is
Among adults in Jay, 21% report frequent mental distress. The town beats the Florida average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. Two figures for adults locally: 42% sleep under 7 hours, 18% binge drink.
| Jay | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Florida
2 better21 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Jay | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 12% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 11.1% | 13.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.2% | 12.7% |
Jay Hospital
0 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Jay is conserved land
The concentration of trails for Jay comes to 0.1 miles per square mile. Trails total 0.2 miles in 1 park or preserve.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,059 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bray Park | — | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Jay
19pages on Jay
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Jay; the nearest are
University of West FloridaUniversity or college · Public · Pensacola28 mi$6,360 in-state tuitionReid State Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Evergreen, AL36.9 mi$5,454 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Jay residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
A job hub
Every workday, about 489 people come to Jay for work
Where Jay’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
498jobs based in Jay
4%of working residents work in town
30 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Jay
Town in Florida, United States
Jay is a town in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. Located in the Florida Panhandle in North Florida, it is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 524 at the 2020 census, down from 533 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 256 ft
- ZIP code
- 32565
- Area code
- 850
Questions about Jay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Jay, FL a good place to live?
Jay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Jay, FL known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Jackie Moore and Bob Zellner.