Clay County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Clay County has a population of 13,052 residents and a median age of 40.4 years, making it the #2,281 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.5%. The median home value is $97,400, and the median household income is $60,417, which is 20% below the national median.
Demographics
Clay County has a population of 13,052, making it the #2,281 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.4 years, which is 3.9% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Clay County is $60,417, ranking #2,049 out of 3,222 counties — 19.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.5% and unemployment stands at 4.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Clay County is $97,400 (-65.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $735/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.3%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Clay County, 13.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 61.1% below the national average, ranking #3,012 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Clay County is 75.8 years. 20.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
19.3% of adults in Clay County smoke , 38.3% are obese , and 20.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 25.5 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 16.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.3 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
19.1% of children in Clay County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 25.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Clay County is 67.6%. The mean commute time is 24.8 min, which is 10.3% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Clay County voted Republican with a margin of 67.3%. The vote was 15.6% Dem / 82.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Clay County, Illinois
Clay County, Illinois has a total population of 13,052, making it the 2,281st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clay County is 40.4 years, which is 3.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Clay County is $60,417, which ranks #2,049 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.8%.
The median home value in Clay County is $97,400, 65.4% below the national median. Renters in Clay County pay a median gross rent of $735 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Clay County, 13.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 61.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.8 min.
Clay County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.8% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.3%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.0%).
All data for Clay County, Illinois 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.