Town guide

Jay, New York

Jay is a town in Essex County, New York, home to about 2,354 people across 68 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 12912, 12941 and 12987.

Homes sold for a median of $177 per square foot across 3 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 3 were seller’s markets.

Population2,35435 per sq mi
Median home value$196,900Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$177Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking8%Median of 3 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Jay

3 ZIP codes

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

The Jay guide is on the way

We’re writing up Jay’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

Are you a local agent who knows Jay well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked

Around Jay

Distances

Nearest major airportAlbany International Airport (ALB)114 miles away
Closer regional airportPlattsburgh International Airport (PBG)22 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Boston, MA197 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+New York, NY258 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.

Who represents Jay

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Jay had 2,486 residents in the 2020 census, up 8% since 2000.

It’s the 589th largest of 1,007 towns in New York by population.

Essex County grew from 30,707 residents in 1900 to 37,381 in 2020.

Jay population by census2000: 2,306, 2010: 2,506, 2020: 2,4862,30620002,50620102,4862020

Essex County, 1900–2020

Essex County population, 1900 to 20201900: 30,707, 1910: 33,458, 1920: 31,871, 1930: 33,959, 1940: 34,178, 1950: 35,086, 1960: 35,300, 1970: 34,631, 1980: 36,176, 1990: 37,152, 2000: 38,851, 2010: 39,370, 2020: 37,38131K’00’1032K’20’3034K’40’5035K’60’7036K’80’9039K’00’1037K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 74°F in summer, and winter lows average 7°F. About 43.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 104 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near JayJan: high 23°F, low 7°F, 3.1 in; Feb: high 27°F, low 8°F, 2.3 in; Mar: high 36°F, low 16°F, 2.9 in; Apr: high 49°F, low 29°F, 3.4 in; May: high 62°F, low 40°F, 3.9 in; Jun: high 70°F, low 49°F, 4.8 in; Jul: high 74°F, low 54°F, 4.4 in; Aug: high 73°F, low 52°F, 4 in; Sep: high 66°F, low 45°F, 3.9 in; Oct: high 52°F, low 35°F, 4.2 in; Nov: high 40°F, low 25°F, 3.4 in; Dec: high 29°F, low 14°F, 3.5 in23°7°Jan3.127°8°Feb2.336°16°Mar2.949°29°Apr3.462°40°May3.970°49°Jun4.874°54°Jul4.473°52°Aug4.066°45°Sep3.952°35°Oct4.240°25°Nov3.429°14°Dec3.5Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lake Placid 2 S, NY weather station (14 miles away).

Jobs in Essex County

10,192 jobs at 1,186 businesses in Essex County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Essex CountyHotels and restaurants: 2,097 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 1,995 jobs; Retail trade: 1,636 jobs; Manufacturing: 982 jobs; Construction: 972 jobs; Other services: 444 jobs; Educational services: 393 jobs; Finance and insurance: 244 jobsHotels and restaurants 21% Health care and social assistance 20% Retail trade 16% Manufacturing 10% Construction 10% Other services 4% Educational services 4% Finance and insurance 2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

12 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Jay’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

  • Elizabethtown Community HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Elizabethtown13.7 miles
  • Adirondack Medical Center - Saranac LakeGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Saranac Lake21.3 miles
  • The University of Vermont Health Network - ChamplGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Plattsburgh24.6 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors3
Dentists3
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants2
Mental health providers2
Chiropractors2
Pharmacies1

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.

Places in and around Jay

Parks (5 nearby)

  • Town of Wilmington Beach · 4 acres5.1 mi
  • Wilmington Bike Park · 1 acres4.7 mi
  • The Covered Bridge1.5 mi
  • Wilmington Heritage Park4.8 mi
  • Lake Everest - Town Beach5.1 mi

Grocery stores (1 nearby)

  • Tops3.9 mi

Libraries (4 nearby)

  • Au Sable Forks Free Library3.7 mi
  • Ausable Forks Free Library3.8 mi
  • Wells Memorial Library4.7 mi
  • Wilmington E. M. Cooper Memorial Public Library4.8 mi

Theaters and performance venues (3 nearby)

  • Ausable Theater3.6 mi
  • Tahawus Cultural Center3.9 mi
  • Recovery Lounge4.8 mi

Counts are within about 5.5 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.

Schools in Jay

Public schools here are run by Ausable Valley Central School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Ausable Forks Elementary SchoolAu Sable ForksPre-K–6229Public3.8 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.

From OfferBacked · Free

Get matched with a local agent.

Buying or selling around Jay? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.

Get matched

Where Jay is

Loading map…

Shares ZIP codes with Black Brook and Au Sable.

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.