Jay is one of the northernmost

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

s in Orleans County,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

, United States, located on the Canada–US border. The population was 551 at the 2020 census. Jay is named for

John Jay John Jay (, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, diplomat, signatory of the Treaty of Paris (1783), Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served from 1789 to 1795 as the first chief justice of the United ...

, one of the

Founding Fathers of the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States, often simply referred to as the Founding Fathers or the Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American Revolution, American revolutionary leaders who United Colonies, united the Thirteen Colon ...

. The US Census Bureau estimated that the town's population had increased by 13.1% between 2000 and 2005, the seventh largest increase in the state. Jay is also home to the Jay Challenge, a three-part stage-race, typically held in July.

History

On November 10, 1943, a

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...

training plane crashed into the west side of the mountain near the top during a blinding snowfall killing one crew member.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (0.12%) is water. The highest point in town is North Jay Peak at above sea level. Despite their containing the name "Jay", other peaks with this name lie mostly in adjacent Westfield, including Jay Peak itself and Jay Peak Resort. The local Jay Branch Brook flows into the

Missisquoi River The Missisquoi River is a transboundary river of the east shore of Lake Champlain (via Missisquoi Bay), approximately long, in northern Vermont in the United States and southern Quebec in Canada. It drains a rural area of the northern Green Moun ...

Climate

Government

* Selectmen ** Michael Brady (2009) ** Mark Burroughs-Biron (2010) * Listers ** Arlene Bosco ** Ron Kapeluck ** Fred Cushing * Tax Collector – Cindy Vincent * Auditor – Edna Cushing * Town Agent and Grand Juror – Roger Morin * School Board ** Sally Rivard (2010) ** Peter Fina (2010)

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 595 people, 276 households, and 215 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 15.4 people per square mile (5.9/km²). There were 685 housing units at an average density of 20.2 per square mile (7.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.8% Native American, 0.6% Asian, and 1.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population. There were 276 households, out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.9% had a female householder living alone, and 26.3% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.80. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 20 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 32.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.8 males. For every 100 females, there were 109 males. The median income for a household in the town was $43,958, and the median income for a family was $48,594. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $20,058. About 7.4% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Town websiteOfficial site for the Jay Challenge''Boston Globe'' article
{{authority control Towns in Vermont

Towns in Orleans County, Vermont