A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Jay$1,620/mo

Typical home $286K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.52% · or rent about $1,117/mo · Housing →

Hastings$1,880/mo

Typical home $278K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →

The difference: $260 a month, about $3,100 a year, between Hastings and Jay.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

JayHastings

Snow a year0″0″

January low39°F 45°F

July high92°F 91°F

Growing season (days)251d 308d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)87th 78th

Outdoors & history

JayHastings

Trails0 mi 1 mi

Conserved land0%6%

Settled—1890

National Register places—1

Community

JayHastings

Library hours a week50 hrs 37 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

348 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

JayFL HastingsFL

Jay ↔ Hastings348 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Florida average

JayHastings

People

Population 796Highest 432Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -1.7%Lowest FL: +14.6% +117.6%Highest FL: +14.6%

Median age 30.8±9.8Highest 28% below FL 21.9±60.2Lowest 49% below FL

Jay and Hastings are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 27.4%±15.4Lowest FL: 19.5% 31.3%±21.1Highest FL: 19.5%

Hastings and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 9.5%±2.8Lowest FL: 21.3% 23.1%±24Highest FL: 21.3%

Hastings and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14.8%Highest FL: 34.1% 4.9%Lowest FL: 34.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.3%±5Highest FL: 6.1% 0%±4.9Lowest FL: 6.1%

Jay and Hastings are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $48,359±$21k 35% below FL —

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $150,800±$102kHighest 58% below FL $108,800±$107kLowest 70% below FL

Jay and Hastings are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,117±$128 33% below FL —

Property taxmedian, yearly $782 71% below FL —

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 35.6%±41.3Lowest FL: 60.1% 100%±13.8Highest FL: 60.1%

Below poverty line 26.6%Lowest FL: 12.6% 74.5%Highest FL: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 38.2%Highest FL: 67.6% 31.9%Lowest FL: 67.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1969Lowest 19 yrs older than FL 1972Highest 16 yrs older than FL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 38 min 37% above FL —

Work from home 3.6%±4.1Highest FL: 15.7% 0.9%±1.4Lowest FL: 15.7%

Jay and Hastings are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 4.1%Highest 1.7%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 30.3 miHighest 19.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.28Highest 0.69Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Pensacola (13%)Jacksonville (16%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in HastingsFew work in Jay

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.8 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 39.9Highest 31.2Lowest

Schools

School district SANTA ROSAST. JOHNS

High school in town Jay High SchoolST. Johns County Jail (DJJ)

Students per teacherat that high school 17.8 —

Florida average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Jay neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jay’s Town Square.

Hastings neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hastings’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Jay and Hastings

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Jay

+ Compare

Lake Butler1,601 people · $168K homes

+ Compare

Branford950 people · $157K homes

+ Compare

Mayo1,147 people · $166K homes

+ Compare

Bronson1,600 people · $170K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Jay vs Hastings

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Grades and rankings, side by side

A typical home costs $260 more a month in Hastings

What daily life feels like in each

348 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Jay and Hastings

Towns like Jay

Post to Jay

Check your email