Jay County, Indiana
Named in 1836 for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay
County Seat: Portland
Largest City: Portland (2020 population: 5,992)
Population per Square Mile: 53.18
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 (2020) | 20,416 | 70 | 0.3% | 6,785,644 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 20,755 | 70 | 0.3% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | -3.9% | 75 | | 4.7% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2019-2020 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | -70 | 55 | | 14,280 |
| Net International Migration | -6 | 92 | | 4,756 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 45 | 26 | 6.5% | 692 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2020 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 1,457 | 62 | 7.1% | 6.1% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 3,737 | 67 | 18.3% | 17.0% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 1,585 | 69 | 7.8% | 9.7% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 4,558 | 73 | 22.3% | 25.7% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 5,281 | 72 | 25.9% | 24.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 3,798 | 75 | 18.6% | 16.5% |
| Median Age | 39.8 | | | Median Age = 38.0 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2020 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 50 | 85 | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 86 | 71 | 0.4% | 2.7% |
| Black Alone | 121 | 75 | 0.6% | 10.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 7 | 66 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 19,894 | 69 | 97.4% | 84.5% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 258 | 70 | 1.3% | 2.2% |
| Non-Hispanic | 19,726 | 70 | 96.6% | 92.6% |
| Hispanic | 690 | 61 | 3.4% | 7.4% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2019 (Includes detail not shown below) | 8,174 | 69 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 1,461 | 67 | 17.9% | 18.5% |
| Married Without Children | 2,526 | 76 | 30.9% | 29.7% |
| Single Parents | 745 | 64 | 9.1% | 9.3% |
| Living Alone | 2,360 | 66 | 28.9% | 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 2020 (estimate) | 9,262 | 72 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2019 (includes vacant units) | 9,253 | 71 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 5,968 | 71 | 64.5% | 61.5% |
| Median Value (2019) | $91,400 | 84 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,206 | 64 | 23.8% | 27.5% |
| Median Rent (2019) | $448 | 83 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2020/2021 Total Reported) | 3,135 | 69 | 0.3% | 1,112,460 |
| Public | 3,020 | 69 | 0.3% | 1,033,286 |
| Adults (25+ in 2019 ACS) | 13,745 | 73 | 0.3% | 4,430,493 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 88% | 58 | | 88.8% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 11.4% | 88 | | 26.5% |
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 2019 | 49,447 | 82 | 85.8% | $57,617 |
| Poverty Rate in 2019 | 12.5% | 29 | 105.0% | 11.9% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 19.3% | 16 | 127.8% | 15.1% |
| 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, 2020 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 8,801 | 73 | 0.3% | 3,319,010 |
| Employed | 8,224 | 73 | 0.3% | 3,082,982 |
| Unemployed | 577 | 73 | 0.2% | 236,028 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 6.6 | 40 | 93.0% | 7.1 |
| November 2021 Unemployment Rate | 1.7 | 1 | 130.8% | 1.3 |
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, 2020 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 20 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $4,655 | $5,872,297 |
| Single-Family | 20 | 100.0% | 76.2% | $4,655 | $5,209,930 |
| 2-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 2.5% | 0 | $83,895 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.8% | $0 | $25,965 |
| 5+ Family | 0 | 0.0% | 20.6% | $0 | $552,508 |
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 2020 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Bryant | 247 | 1.2% |
| Dunkirk | 2,116 | 10.4%* |
| Pennville | 676 | 3.3% |
| Portland | 5,992 | 29.3% |
| Redkey | 1,278 | 6.3% |
| Salamonia | 158 | 0.8% |
| * This place crosses county lines, so only population in this county is shown. |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
Hoosiers by the Numbers