What stands out worked out from the figures below

Jay has the most affordable homes ($197k median).

Washington has the most people working from home (14.9%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Jay	Washington
People
Population	2,354Highest	1,056Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-0.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	48.8±4.6Lowest 25% above U.S.	52.9±5.1Highest 36% above U.S.
	Washington and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 22%	16.5%±4.2Highest U.S.: 22%
	Washington and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.3%±4.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	24.3%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Jay and Washington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	31.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	31%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.7%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	2.7%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Washington and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$72,380±$19kHighest 10% below U.S.	$66,103±$8kLowest 18% below U.S.
	Jay and Washington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$196,900±$22kLowest 41% below U.S.	$217,700±$37kHighest 35% below U.S.
	Washington and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,272±$366Highest 10% below U.S.	$996±$285Lowest 30% below U.S.
	Jay and Washington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,741Highest 20% above U.S.	$3,485Lowest 12% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	27.4%±21.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	34.5%±63.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Washington and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	94.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1977Lowest 3 yrs older than U.S.	1980Highest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 8% above U.S.	31 minHighest 16% above U.S.
Work from home	8.8%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	14.9%±5.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Washington and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	AUSABLE VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	Echo Valley Community Union School District #67
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.