16715 Montego Way, Feb 2008, 2008
Jamaica Beach’s story
Jamaica Beach in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008.
Explore the history →
Photo: WhisperToMe · Public domain
Population
1,071
2025 Census estimate · −0.7% since 2020
Typical home
$440K
−8.1% in a year
Household income
$94K
median
Median age
63.3
years
Jobs based here
130
A commuter town
Is Jamaica Beach a good place to live?
The best of Jamaica Beach’s subject grades are an A for health and an A− for safety; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. 58% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Jamaica Beach, above both the Texas town median (23%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). On hazard risk, just 22 of Texas’ 1,000 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 70% of U.S. towns. Jamaica Beach has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Jamaica Beach stand out
Where Jamaica Beach beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
31 measures vs. Texas
17 better9 too close to call5 worse
| Widest gap | Jamaica Beach | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6% | 19.1% |
HealthA
Healthier than 90% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Jamaica Beach0
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
SafetyA−
No violent crime reported in 2025
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Inland flooding and coastal flooding at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
By the sea
Jamaica Beach lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 25% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
25%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
100thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
1,318paid flood-insurance claims since 1979
7storm & flood disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
How Jamaica Beach grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Jamaica Beach is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →HealthUniversity of Texas Medical Branch Galveston 0.9 miles awayAOpen →SafetyA−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $440K, 5.4 years of the Houston metro’s $82K median household incomeC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.7 of 20; 2% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsBehind 68% of Texas districts on tests and graduationCOpen →Jobs & incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 90° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market85 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 63.3–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 54 attractions →Galveston Island and 17 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Jamaica Beach. Close and well known come first.
5 mi BeachGalveston Island
13 mi Theme parkGalveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier
39 mi LandmarkSan Jacinto Monument
16 mi MuseumUSS Cavalla
26 mi MuseumSpace Center Houston
10 mi Zoo & aquariumMoody GardensSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Galveston Island: NASA, Public domain · Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier: Matthew T Rader, CC BY-SA 4.0 · San Jacinto Monument: Tijuana Brass at English Wikipedia, Public domain · USS Cavalla: USN photo courtesy of http://ussubvetsofwwii.org. Photo i.d. courtesy of Chuck N, Public domain · Space Center Houston: Shujianyang, CC BY 4.0 · Moody Gardens: Own work, GFDL
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Jamaica Beach: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jamaica Beach, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Texas13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Jamaica Beach water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpAmeriWasteTrash haulerTown site
Register to voteIn personTexas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereGalveston County Early Voting ClerkGalveston County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7755477554 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Jamaica Beach.
HealthA
Compared with most of Texas and the rest of the country, fewer of Jamaica Beach’s adults report frequent mental distress
12% of Jamaica Beach adults report frequent mental distress, against 18% in Texas’ towns and 17% across U.S. towns. 14% of Jamaica Beach adults say their health is fair or poor. Jamaica Beach beats the Texas average on 17 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
90%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Jamaica Beach | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 18% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 30% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.1% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 39% | 36% |
31 measures vs. Texas
17 better9 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Jamaica Beach | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6% | 19.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.9% | 19.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.4% | 6.1% |
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston
In Galveston · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C−
Jamaica Beach stands out in Texas and nationally, with more of its households who own their home
97% of households own their home in Jamaica Beach. Typical home values fell 8.1% in the year to September 2026.
$440KZillow home value
Typical home value
Jamaica Beach$440K
Texas$296K
Market temperature
85
days on market
96.6%
sale-to-list price
−8.1%
value change, 1 year
8
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SafetyA−
Less crime per resident in Jamaica Beach than in 83% of U.S. towns
Jamaica Beach’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
83%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Jamaica Beach | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.8 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Jamaica Beach0
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Jamaica Beach2.8
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
83rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
3
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Jamaica Beach faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 86% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 1,318 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Jamaica Beach.
86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCoastal floodingHurricanes
1,318
paid flood claims since 1979
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Jamaica Beach has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Jamaica Beach for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in Jamaica Beach grew to 130 in 2023, 38 more than in 2013. The median household income in Jamaica Beach is $94,000.
4%work in town
| Jamaica Beach | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $94,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Jamaica Beach4%
Galveston36%
Houston25%
Texas City3%
Austin2%
27 mi
median commute distance
130
jobs based in Jamaica Beach
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 30% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Jamaica Beach, expect mild winters and hot summers
Jamaica Beach has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Among 643 Texas towns, just 1 have a lower July high than Jamaica Beach.
90°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter50–64°
Spring64–76°
Summer78–89°
Fall66–79°
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Jamaica Beach
18pages on Jamaica Beach
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 68% of TX districtsSafetyA−0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than TX on 17 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingC−$440K typical home · down 8.1% in a yearWork & commuteB$94K median household income · 130 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 86% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Jamaica Beach
Galveston CollegeCommunity college · Public · Galveston12.3 mi$2,726 in-state tuitionCollege of the MainlandCommunity college · Public · Texas City14.3 mi$2,310 in-state tuitionThe University of Texas Medical Branch at GalvestonUniversity or college · Public · Galveston14.9 mi
About 1 of every 100 Jamaica Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Small town
1,071 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Jamaica Beach
City in Texas, United States
Jamaica Beach is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States on Galveston Island. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 1,078. The city is bordered by Galveston to the east and west, the west bay on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3 ft
- Area code
- 409
Questions about Jamaica Beach
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Jamaica Beach, TX expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.