Cost of Living & Housing in Jay
Jay's cost of living centers on genuinely affordable home prices, even directly alongside a major, remote ski resort -- paired with a property tax rate that runs a real, disclosed middle ground between national and Vermont statewide figures.
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Learn moreGenuinely affordable housing, even next to a major resort
Jay's own cited median home value ($186,700, Ownwell) runs well below both the ~$408,776 national median and the ~$423,674/~$400,274 Vermont statewide figures -- genuinely affordable even with Jay Peak Resort located directly within the town. Orleans County's own broader median home value ($150,900) runs lower still (base record).
A property tax rate above the national median, but below Vermont's own state median
Jay's own effective property tax rate (1.82%, per Ownwell) runs meaningfully above the ~1.02% national median, but genuinely below Ownwell's own cited 2.11% "Vermont state median" comparison figure and above the ~1.51% Tax Foundation statewide anchor this project's Vermont state record uses -- a real, disclosed reminder that Vermont's effective property tax rate varies meaningfully town by town (base record).
Vermont's 8.75% top income tax rate applies statewide
Vermont's real, current graduated income tax tops out at an 8.75% marginal rate, among the higher top rates in the country, and applies in Jay as it does statewide, alongside a combined 6.00%-7.00% general sales tax (base record).
Confirm current listings and resort-adjacent pricing directly
A resort town's condo and second-home inventory located near Jay Peak itself can price meaningfully differently than the town-wide median cited here -- confirm current, specific listings directly, and note this pass's disclosed gap on a comprehensive local-employer list beyond Jay Peak Resort (base record).
Key takeaways
- Jay's median home value ($186,700) runs well below national and Vermont statewide figures, even directly alongside Jay Peak Resort.
- Jay's own 1.82% property tax rate runs above the national median but below Ownwell's own cited Vermont state median figure.
- Vermont's 8.75% top marginal income tax rate applies in Jay as it does statewide.
- Confirm current, resort-adjacent listings and local employment data directly given this pass's disclosed gaps.
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