Jay County, Indiana
Named in 1836 for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay
County Seat: Portland
Largest City: Portland (2021 population: 6,228)
Population per Square Mile: 52.74
Square Miles: 383.90
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 21,253 | 70 | 0.3% | 6,484,050 |
| Today (2021) | 20,248 | 72 | 0.3% | 6,805,985 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 20,755 | 70 | 0.3% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | -4.7% | 78 | | 5.0% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2020-2021 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | -213 | 84 | | 14,280 |
| Net International Migration | -4 | 92 | | 4,756 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 9 | 19 | 1.3% | 692 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2021 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 1,396 | 62 | 6.9% | 6.0% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 3,749 | 68 | 18.5% | 17.3% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 1,579 | 69 | 7.8% | 9.7% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 4,541 | 73 | 22.4% | 25.7% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 5,214 | 74 | 25.8% | 24.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 3,769 | 75 | 18.6% | 16.4% |
| Median Age | 40.0 | | | Median Age = 38.1 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2021 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 55 | 82 | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 84 | 72 | 0.4% | 2.7% |
| Black Alone | 155 | 73 | 0.8% | 10.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 7 | 68 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 19,687 | 70 | 97.2% | 84.2% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 260 | 71 | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| Non-Hispanic | 19,562 | 70 | 96.6% | 92.3% |
| Hispanic | 686 | 61 | 3.4% | 7.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2020 (Includes detail not shown below) | 8,293 | 70 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 1,406 | 68 | 17.0% | 18.3% |
| Married Without Children | 2,564 | 75 | 30.9% | 29.8% |
| Single Parents | 766 | 65 | 9.2% | 9.3% |
| Living Alone | 2,381 | 67 | 28.7% | 29.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Housing | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Total Housing Units in 2021 (estimate) | 8,900 | 72 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2020 (includes vacant units) | 9,253 | 71 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 6,238 | 70 | 67.4% | 62.3% |
| Median Value (2020) | $90,800 | 86 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,055 | 65 | 22.2% | 27.4% |
| Median Rent (2020) | $489 | 76 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2021/2022 Total Reported) | 3,145 | 68 | 0.3% | 1,120,155 |
| Public | 2,984 | 70 | 0.3% | 1,036,519 |
| Adults (25+ in 2020 ACS) | 13,811 | 73 | 0.3% | 4,466,180 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 88.2% | 59 | | 89.3% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 12.5% | 85 | | 27.2% |
Sources: Indiana Department of Education; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Income and Poverty | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Per Capita Personal Income (annual) in 2020 | $42,194 | 76 | 81.3% | 51,926 |
| Median Household Income in 2020 | 42,504 | 92 | 69.9% | $60,794 |
| Poverty Rate in 2020 | 13.9% | 16 | 119.8% | 11.6% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 22.5% | 5 | 151.0% | 14.9% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2021 | 13 | 76 | 0.2% | 6,453 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2021 | 1,820 | 66 | 0.3% | 636,675 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2019/2020 | 1,668 | 64 | 0.3% | 507,739 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Family Social Services Administration; Indiana Department of Education
| Health and Vital Statistics | Number | Rank of | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Births, 2019 | 297 | 61 | 0.4% | 80,859 |
| Births to Teens, 2017 | 21 | 61 | 0.4% | 5,152 |
| Deaths, 2019 | 226 | 73 | 0.3% | 66,005 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2021 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 8,746 | 74 | 0.3% | 3,321,548 |
| Employed | 8,512 | 72 | 0.3% | 3,203,166 |
| Unemployed | 234 | 80 | 0.2% | 118,382 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 2.7 | 63 | 75.0% | 3.6 |
| August 2022 Unemployment Rate | 2.6 | 49 | 83.9% | 3.1 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2020 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 9,462 | 100.0% | $515,174 | 100.0% | $54,447 |
| Wage and Salary | 6,938 | 73.3% | $286,290 | 55.6% | $41,264 |
| Farm Proprietors | 696 | 7.4% | $98,060 | 19.0% | $140,891 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 1,828 | 19.3% | $54,473 | 10.6% | $29,799 |
| Farm | 907 | 9.6% | $102,210 | 19.8% | $112,690 |
| Nonfarm | 8,555 | 90.4% | $412,964 | 80.2% | $48,272 |
| Private | 7,660 | 81.0% | $364,174 | 70.7% | $47,542 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 414 | 4.4% | $7,298 | 1.4% | $17,628 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 35 | 0.4% | $314 | 0.1% | $8,971 |
| Construction | 681 | 7.2% | $40,850 | 7.9% | $59,985 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Information | 61 | 0.6% | $2,897 | 0.6% | $47,492 |
| Manufacturing | 2,677 | 28.3% | $168,481 | 32.7% | $62,936 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Retail Trade | 829 | 8.8% | $20,347 | 3.9% | $24,544 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 211 | 2.2% | $13,200 | 2.6% | $62,559 |
| Wholesale Trade | 284 | 3.0% | $19,611 | 3.8% | $69,053 |
| Other Private (not above) | 1,302* | 13.8%* | $45,397* | 8.8%* | $34,867* |
| Government | 895 | 9.5% | $48,790 | 9.5% | $54,514 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
* These totals do not include county data that are not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements.
| Residential Building Permits, 2021 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 17 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $4,802 | $7,583,249 |
| Single-Family | 17 | 100.0% | 74.4% | $4,802 | $6,692,956 |
| 2-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 2.4% | 0 | $117,031 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.4% | $0 | $30,324 |
| 5+ Family | 0 | 0.0% | 22.7% | $0 | $742,937 |
Notes: Detail cost may not sum to total due to rounding. Greene County does not currently issue building permits, so it is excluded.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Largest Cities and Towns in Jay County
| Name | Population
in 2021 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Bryant | 237 | 1.2% |
| Dunkirk | 2,004 | 9.9%* |
| Pennville | 621 | 3.1% |
| Portland | 6,228 | 30.8% |
| Redkey | 1,087 | 5.4% |
| Salamonia | 148 | 0.7% |
| * This place crosses county lines, so only population in this county is shown. |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
