Adirondacks & North Country
Jay, New York
Jay is a town in Essex County, in New York's Adirondacks & North Country region, home to about 2,500 people as of the 2020 census.
Whether you're moving in or you've been here for years, the checks that matter most are the school district, the assessment and STAR, and — outside the cities — the well, the septic, and the flood map.
- Type
- Town
- County
- Essex
- Region
- Adirondacks & North Country
- Population (2020)
- 2,486
Local Almanac
Notes in and around Jay
Short, sourced notes tied to this place, its county, or nearby communities.
This place · History & Culture
Jay's identity follows the Ausable River corridor
Jay's Adirondack identity follows the Ausable River corridor, with hamlets and town offices sharing the same small geography.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Elizabethtown is Essex County's civic middle
Elizabethtown's local identity comes from town government plus the county-seat role that puts civic services nearby.
Read this note ->Nearby · The Outdoors
Chesterfield Has a Mountain Name People Remember
Chesterfield's outdoor story comes through Poke-O-Moonshine: a fire-tower mountain, Lake Champlain views, cliffs, trails, and a name that sticks.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Black Brook is an Adirondack river-and-iron town
Black Brook's own town page ties its identity to early settlement, farming, mining, smelting iron, the Au Sable River, and Adirondack waters.
Read this note ->Nearby · The Outdoors
Ausable Chasm Gives Clinton County a Rock-Cut Landmark
Ausable Chasm makes the Clinton County landscape tactile: sandstone walls, river passage, and a named gorge at the county edge.
Read this note ->Nearby · The Outdoors
Wilmington’s Whiteface identity has a state-land rulebook
Whiteface gives Wilmington mountain identity, public-land oversight, and a year-round outdoor rhythm.
Read this note ->Essex County · Rules & Licenses
Adirondack Park Projects Should Start With the APA, Not Guesswork
Before building, subdividing, clearing near wetlands, or changing shoreline use in the Adirondack Park, ask the APA whether state review applies.
Read this note ->Essex County · Rules & Licenses
North Elba Short-Term Rentals Need the Local Permit Route
North Elba and Lake Placid short-term rental checks should start with the local permit page, not a listing platform or old blog post.
Read this note ->Essex County · Cars & Driving
North Country Winter Travel Is a Check-Early Habit
Lake-effect snow, Adirondack elevation, and long rural gaps make winter travel manageable when drivers check forecasts and 511NY before leaving.
Read this note ->Property tax snapshot
Roughly $16–$19 per $1,000
Combined full-value rate — county + town/city + school district, per $1,000 of market value (FY2025). On a $300,000 home that's about $4,790–$5,803 a year before the STAR break.
A planning estimate, not a bill. Your exact rate depends on your school district and any village. Confirm with the assessor.
Statewide links
Statewide starting points.
Good to know
- • Your assessed value usually isn't your market value — ask for the equalization rate.
- • Register for STAR; new applicants generally receive a credit instead of an automatic exemption on the bill.
- • Outside the cities, check the well, the septic, and the FEMA flood map before you buy.
Nearby
Nearby places
Tax rates: NYS Dept of Taxation & Finance (ORPTS), Real Property Tax Rates and Levy Data by Municipality, data.ny.gov dataset iq85-sdzs. (FY2025). Population: U.S. Census 2020. Reviewed June 2026. Source data ->
Page feedback
Send a page note
Send a note about this page. The page address will be included automatically.
Page feedback
Send a note
This is for fixing the site: wrong details, unclear wording, broken links, outdated information, or useful local context.