Jay is a township in Martin County, Minnesota, home to about 275 people across 36 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 56111, 56127 and 56171.
Homes sold for a median of $122 per square foot across 3 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 3 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Alpha; part is in Jay
Mostly Dunnell; part is in Jay
Mostly Sherburn; part is in Jay
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Jay. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Jay’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)114 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Mason City Municipal Airport (MCW)79 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN117 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL379 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Jay; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Jay had 230 residents in the 2020 census, down 14% since 2000.
It’s the 1541st largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.
Martin County grew from 16,936 residents in 1900 to 20,025 in 2020.
Martin County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 6°F. About 30.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Sherburn 3wsw, MN weather station (about a mile away).
7,402 jobs at 597 businesses in Martin County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
2 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Jay’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Mental health providers | 1 |
|---|---|
| Chiropractors | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 4 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Martin County West School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherburn ElementarySherburn | K–2 | 136 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| Martin County West Junior HighSherburn | 7–8 | 101 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Martin County West Senior HighSherburn | 9–12 | 187 | Public | 1.6 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Sherburn, Manyaska, Dunnell, Lake Fremont, Elm Creek, Alpha, Petersburg, Lake Belt, Wisconsin, Enterprise, Fox Lake and Kimball Township.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.