Jay County, Indiana
Named in 1836 for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay
County Seat: Portland
Largest City: Portland (2022 population: 6,234)
Population per Square Mile: 52.18
Square Miles: 383.90
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2020) | 20,478 | 71 | 0.3% | 6,484,050 |
| Today (2023) | 20,032 | 72 | 0.3% | 6,862,199 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 20,975 | 68 | 0.3% | 7,014,880 |
| Percent Change 2020 to Today | -2.2% | 84 | | 1.1% |
*Projection based on 2015 Census population estimates.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2022-2023 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | -80 | 79 | | 4,599 |
| Net International Migration | 9 | 64 | | 17,869 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -16 | 32 | -0.2% | 7,508 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2022 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 1,445 | 62 | 7.2% | 5.9% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 3,645 | 68 | 18.0% | 17.0% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 1,613 | 69 | 8.0% | 9.9% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 4,528 | 73 | 22.4% | 25.7% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 5,126 | 74 | 25.4% | 24.5% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 3,841 | 75 | 19.0% | 16.9% |
| Median Age | 40.2 | | | Median Age = 38.2 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2022 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 53 | 83 | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 85 | 73 | 0.4% | 2.8% |
| Black Alone | 129 | 79 | 0.6% | 10.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 10 | 63 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 19,654 | 70 | 97.3% | 84.0% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 267 | 72 | 1.3% | 2.4% |
| Non-Hispanic | 19,457 | 71 | 96.3% | 92.1% |
| Hispanic | 741 | 61 | 3.7% | 7.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2022 (Includes detail not shown below) | 8,091 | 69 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 1,258 | 75 | 15.5% | 18.1% |
| Married Without Children | 2,251 | 79 | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| Single Parents | 760 | 61 | 9.4% | 9.0% |
| Living Alone | 2,485 | 64 | 30.7% | 29.4% |
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 2022 (estimate) | 8,907 | 72 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2022 (includes vacant units) | 8,919 | 72 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 6,197 | 71 | 69.5% | 63.5% |
| Median Value (2022) | $101,500 | 88 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 1,894 | 67 | 21.2% | 27.1% |
| Median Rent (2022) | $556 | 69 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2022/2023 Total Reported) | 3,138 | 69 | 0.3% | 1,124,094 |
| Public | 3,000 | 70 | 0.3% | 1,035,718 |
| Adults (25+ in 2022 ACS) | 13,590 | 75 | 0.3% | 4,532,091 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 87.5% | 71 | | 90% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 12.9% | 88 | | 28.2% |
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 2022 | $53,916 | 35 | 92.4% | 58,323 |
| Median Household Income in 2022 | 57,690 | 78 | 86.4% | $66,768 |
| Poverty Rate in 2022 | 13.7% | 26 | 109.6% | 12.5% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 20.6% | 9 | 133.8% | 15.4% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2022 | 9 | 76 | 0.2% | 3,933 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2022 | 1,677 | 66 | 0.3% | 611,203 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2022/2023 | 1,533 | 69 | 0.3% | 511,735 |
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, 2021 | 297 | 60 | 0.4% | 79,946 |
| Births to Teens, 2021 | 14 | 59 | 0.4% | 3,845 |
| Deaths, 2019 | 226 | 73 | 0.3% | 66,005 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2023 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 8,921 | 74 | 0.3% | 3,401,387 |
| Employed | 8,648 | 74 | 0.3% | 3,288,017 |
| Unemployed | 273 | 74 | 0.2% | 113,370 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 3.1 | 45 | 93.9% | 3.3 |
| March 2024 Unemployment Rate | 3.8 | 49 | 92.7% | 4.1 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2022 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 9,970 | 100.0% | $732,772 | 100.0% | $73,498 |
| Wage and Salary | 7,281 | 73.0% | $332,928 | 45.4% | $45,726 |
| Farm Proprietors | 682 | 6.8% | $251,510 | 34.3% | $368,783 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 2,007 | 20.1% | $68,715 | 9.4% | $34,238 |
| Farm | 858 | 8.6% | $256,160 | 35.0% | $298,555 |
| Nonfarm | 9,112 | 91.4% | $476,612 | 65.0% | $52,306 |
| Private | 8,237 | 82.6% | $425,953 | 58.1% | $51,712 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 445 | 4.5% | $9,933 | 1.4% | $22,321 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 52 | 0.5% | $737 | 0.1% | $14,173 |
| Construction | 800 | 8.0% | $51,936 | 7.1% | $64,920 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Information | 57 | 0.6% | $2,704 | 0.4% | $47,439 |
| Manufacturing | 2,888 | 29.0% | $195,925 | 26.7% | $67,841 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Retail Trade | 855 | 8.6% | $22,835 | 3.1% | $26,708 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 301 | 3.0% | $21,575 | 2.9% | $71,678 |
| Wholesale Trade | 286 | 2.9% | $21,621 | 3.0% | $75,598 |
| Other Private (not above) | 1,394* | 14.0%* | $48,668* | 6.6%* | $34,912* |
| Government | 875 | 8.8% | $50,659 | 6.9% | $57,896 |
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, 2022 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 17 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $5,918 | $6,635,992 |
| Single-Family | 17 | 100.0% | 65.0% | $5,918 | $5,513,030 |
| 2-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 1.9% | 0 | $76,873 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.5% | $0 | $14,702 |
| 5+ Family | 0 | 0.0% | 32.6% | $0 | $1,031,387 |
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 2022 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Bryant | 237 | 1.2% |
| Dunkirk | 1,988 | 9.9%* |
| Pennville | 617 | 3.1% |
| Portland | 6,234 | 31.1% |
| Redkey | 1,081 | 5.4% |
| Salamonia | 149 | 0.7% |
| * 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