Clay County, Arkansas

AR · FIPS 05021 Republican

Located in Arkansas, Clay County has a population of 14,280 residents and a median age of 42.7 years, making it the #2,205 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.2%. The median home value is $94,600, and the median household income is $51,481, which is 31% below the national median.

14,280
Population
#2,205 of 3,222
$51,481
Median Income
-31.5% #2,692 of 3,222
42.7 years
Median Age
+9.8% #1,288 of 3,222
17.2%
Poverty Rate
+36.4% #2,329 of 3,222

Demographics

Clay County has a population of 14,280, making it the #2,205 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.7 years, which is 9.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.5%
Native Born
0.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Clay County is $51,481, ranking #2,692 out of 3,222 counties — 31.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.2% and unemployment stands at 6.3%.

Income#2,692
$51,481
-31.5%
vs nation
16th percentile
Per Capita#2,741
$27,594
-33.1%
vs nation
15th percentile
Poverty#2,329
17.2%
+36.4%
vs nation
28th percentile
Unemployment#2,627
6.3%
+18.9%
vs nation
18th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Clay County is $94,600 (-66.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $707/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.7%.

Home Value#3,058
$94,600
-66.4%
vs nation
5th percentile
Rent#2,714
$707
-39.2%
vs nation
16th percentile
Homeownership#1,574
74.7%
+16.0%
vs nation
51th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Clay County, 15.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 54.6% below the national average, ranking #2,773 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.3% −54.6% vs nation
Rank #2,773 of 3,222
14th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Clay County is 72.8 years. 25.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,288
72.8
-3.1%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,761
25.4%
+29.8%
vs nation
12th percentile
Diabetes#2,362
12.6%
+13.2%
vs nation
25th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,948
38.8%
+4.0%
vs nation
38th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,815
6.4
+13.8%
vs nation
11th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,928
5.5
+23.6%
vs nation
7th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,609
9.6%
-8.3%
vs nation
49th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,859
33.6%
+27.4%
vs nation
9th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,003
20.7%
+43.7%
vs nation
5th percentile

Substance Use

23.6% of adults in Clay County smoke , 38.1% are obese , and 19.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 23.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,902
23.6%
+31.4%
vs nation
8th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,443
38.1%
+0.5%
vs nation
54th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,239
19.1%
-3.6%
vs nation
61th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#765
23.1
-28.5%
vs nation
64th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 23.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 39.1 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,924
23.1
+17.2%
vs nation
25th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,848
22.1
+23.7%
vs nation
25th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,686
39.1
+93.2%
vs nation
5th percentile

Families & Children

22.3% of children in Clay County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 38.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,784
38.8
+77.7%
vs nation
7th percentile
Child Poverty#2,217
22.3%
+17.4%
vs nation
30th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Clay County is 45.1%. The mean commute time is 25.9 min, which is 6.0% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
45.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.9 min −6.0% vs nation
Rank #1,722 of 3,222
47th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Clay County voted Republican with a margin of 61.6%. The vote was 18.3% Dem / 79.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +61.6%
18.3% 79.9%
Dem 4,967 votes Rep
2020 REP +60.2%
18.6% 78.8%
Dem 5,183 votes Rep
2016 REP +29.8%
33.4% 63.2%
Dem 5,978 votes Rep
2012 REP +29.1%
34% 63.1%
Dem 5,110 votes Rep
2008 REP +14.3%
40.7% 55%
Dem 5,511 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Clay County, Arkansas

Clay County, Arkansas has a total population of 14,280, making it the 2,205th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clay County is 42.7 years, which is 9.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Clay County is $51,481, which ranks #2,692 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.3%.

The median home value in Clay County is $94,600, 66.4% below the national median. Renters in Clay County pay a median gross rent of $707 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Clay County, 15.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.9 min.

Clay County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.1%).

All data for Clay County, Arkansas comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.