The Town FilesJay, Pennsylvania
Township in Elk County · population 1,963 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $90,500
- Household income
- $67,036
- Jan low / Jul high
- 16° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 52 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 46.0
Jay is a township of 1,963 people in Elk County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $90,500, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 96% of Pennsylvania towns, better for a vacation home than 89% of Pennsylvania towns, better for first-time buyers than 76% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Jay ranks
Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Jay is worth $90,500, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 1.4 times the median household income of $67,036, which is more affordable than 98% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $675 a month. 87.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Jay | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $90,500 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $675 | $996 |
| Median household income | $67,036 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.4× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 87.0% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1964 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 23.2% | — |
Who lives in Jay
| People | Jay | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.0 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.8% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 18.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.1% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 7.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.3% | — |
| Work from home | 2.1% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 23.3 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 89.3% | 89.0% |
Weather in Jay
July highs average 81.2°F and January lows 16.2°F. About 45.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 51.9 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 164 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Jay since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 31, 1985 about 9.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 4, 2021.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on April 25, 2011.
Severe weather in Elk County since 1996
Elk County has been included in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 11, 2024 | Tropical Storm | DR-4815: Tropical Storm Debby |
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
| September 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3235: Hurricane Katrina |
Jobs and pay in Elk County
Elk County had 13,348 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $52,545 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Jay itself the ACS puts it at 4.8%.
Towns near Jay
- Weedville, PA3.0 mi · 565 people · home $170,000
- Fox, PA6.9 mi · 3,576 people · home $170,800
- Kersey, PA6.9 mi · 797 people · home $227,600
- Huston, PA9.4 mi · 1,260 people · home $107,300
- St. Marys, PA9.6 mi · 12,738 people · home $149,000
- Horton, PA12.0 mi · 1,366 people · home $132,900
- Ridgway, PA14.7 mi · 4,039 people · home $94,900
- Shippen, PA15.1 mi · 1,944 people · home $107,600
Jay questions
Is Jay, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Jay scores better for retirees than 22% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 69%. 20.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.0).
How much does a house cost in Jay?
The median owner-occupied home in Jay is valued at $90,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,036, so homes cost about 1.4 times income. Median rent is $675 a month.
What is the weather like in Jay?
July highs average 81.2°F and January lows 16.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.6 inches of precipitation a year and 51.9 inches of snow.
Does Jay get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Jay since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 31, 1985. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)