Renting in Jay: a two-bedroom costs about $1,450
Jay is too small for a cost of living grade (TownRatings grades places of 1,000 or more).
Only 1 sale in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
What stands out about housing in Jay
Why Jay isn’t graded
The grade needs at least two of four Census figures: home value, rent, property tax and the share of households paying 30% or more for housing.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,450
Renters already here pay a median of $1,117, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs below the Florida norm
The median bill is $782 (Florida: $2,730), 0.52% of a home’s value a year, against 0.76% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Jay and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay | – | $279K | $151K | 0.52% | $1,450 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents).
Questions about the cost of living in Jay
How much is rent in Jay?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,450 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,117 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Jay?
The median bill is $782 a year, 0.52% of the median home value (Florida: $2,730, 0.76%), from the Census 2020–24.
Why doesn’t Jay have a cost of living grade?
Jay is too small for a cost of living grade (TownRatings grades places of 1,000 or more).
Neighbors talk housing
What Jay buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.