Jay County Demographics

A map of Jay County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	18,768	18,892	92.8%	92.3%
Hispanic	922	944	4.6%	4.6%
Multiracial	449	463	2.2%	2.3%
Black	67	53	0.3%	0.3%
Native American/Other	12	62	0.1%	0.3%
Asian	11	64	0.1%	0.3%

Jay County, Indiana has an estimated population of 20,229, a slight decrease from the 20,478 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 92.8% White, 4.6% Hispanic, 2.2% Multiracial, 0.3% Black, 0.1% Asian, and 0.1% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Jay County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Jay has become slightly less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Indiana overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Jay County, that probability was 14.6% in 2020 and 13.7% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Jay County is ranked the 72nd most populous county in Indiana, out of 92 counties. Jay County was ranked the 71st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Jay County's White Population

18,768 residents of Jay County, or 92.8% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Jay County is significantly higher than in Indiana overall, where 75.4% of the population is White. Jay County ranks 40th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 92 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jay County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Jay County's population has increased from 92.3% to 92.8%.

Jay County is more White than neighboring Randolph County (90.7% White), Adams County (92.7% White), and Wells County (92.2% White). Jay County is less White than neighboring Blackford County (93.8% White), and Mercer County (94.2% White).

Jay County's Black Population

67 residents of Jay County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Jay County is lower than in Indiana overall, where 9.1% of the population is Black. Jay County ranks 82nd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 92 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jay County's Black population has grown by an estimated 26.4%. Black residents' share of Jay County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Jay County is less Black than neighboring Randolph County (0.7% Black), Blackford County (0.6% Black), Wells County (1% Black), and Mercer County (1.1% Black).

Jay County's Asian Population

11 residents of Jay County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Jay County is slightly lower than in Indiana overall, where 2.6% of the population is Asian. Jay County ranks 70th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 92 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jay County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 82.8%. Asian residents' share of Jay County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Jay County is less Asian than neighboring Randolph County (0.5% Asian), Adams County (0.4% Asian), Wells County (0.2% Asian), and Mercer County (0.5% Asian).

Jay County's Hispanic Population

922 residents of Jay County, or 4.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Jay County is slightly lower than in Indiana overall, where 8.6% of the population is Hispanic. Jay County ranks 30th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 92 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jay County's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 2.3%. Hispanic residents' share of Jay County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.6%.

Jay County is more Hispanic than neighboring Blackford County (2.4% Hispanic), Wells County (4% Hispanic), and Mercer County (2.2% Hispanic). Jay County is less Hispanic than neighboring Randolph County (5.3% Hispanic), and Adams County (4.8% Hispanic).

Jay County's Native American/Other Population

12 residents of Jay County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Jay County is comparable to the share in Indiana overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Jay County ranks 89th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 92 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jay County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 80.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Jay County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Jay County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Randolph County (0.8% Native American/Other), Blackford County (0.2% Native American/Other), and Wells County (0.2% Native American/Other).

Jay County's Multiracial Population

449 residents of Jay County, or 2.2% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Jay County is comparable to the share in Indiana overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. Jay County ranks 84th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 92 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jay County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 3.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Jay County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.2%.

Jay County is more Multiracial than neighboring Randolph County (2.1% Multiracial), Adams County (1.8% Multiracial), and Mercer County (1.9% Multiracial). Jay County is less Multiracial than neighboring Blackford County (2.9% Multiracial), and Wells County (2.4% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.