Clay County, Indiana

IN · FIPS 18021 Republican

Located in Indiana, Clay County has a population of 26,409 residents and a median age of 41.4 years, making it the #1,601 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.7%. The median home value is $153,000, and the median household income is $70,010, which is 7% below the national median.

26,409
Population
#1,601 of 3,222
$70,010
Median Income
-6.8% #1,199 of 3,222
41.4 years
Median Age
+6.4% #1,681 of 3,222
11.7%
Poverty Rate
-7.1% #1,192 of 3,222

Demographics

Clay County has a population of 26,409, making it the #1,601 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.4 years, which is 6.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.9%
Native Born
1.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Clay County is $70,010, ranking #1,199 out of 3,222 counties — 6.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.7% and unemployment stands at 3.2%.

Income#1,199
$70,010
-6.8%
vs nation
63th percentile
Per Capita#778
$40,358
-2.2%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poverty#1,192
11.7%
-7.1%
vs nation
63th percentile
Unemployment#814
3.2%
-39.2%
vs nation
75th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Clay County is $153,000 (-45.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $873/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.9%.

Home Value#2,192
$153,000
-45.7%
vs nation
32th percentile
Rent#1,591
$873
-24.9%
vs nation
51th percentile
Homeownership#505
80.9%
+25.6%
vs nation
84th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Clay County, 20.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 39.7% below the national average, ranking #1,942 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
20.3% −39.7% vs nation
Rank #1,942 of 3,222
40th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Clay County is 75.0 years. 19.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,627
75.0
-0.3%
vs nation
47th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,668
19.3%
-1.3%
vs nation
47th percentile
Diabetes#1,355
10.4%
-6.6%
vs nation
57th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,451
37.2%
-0.3%
vs nation
54th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,389
6.0
+7.2%
vs nation
24th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,632
4.5
0.0%
vs nation
48th percentile
Uninsured Rate#745
6.8%
-34.9%
vs nation
76th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,303
29.5%
+11.8%
vs nation
27th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,575
14.2%
-1.4%
vs nation
50th percentile

Substance Use

21.2% of adults in Clay County smoke , 42.3% are obese , and 19.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 16.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,548
21.2%
+18.1%
vs nation
19th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,675
42.3%
+11.6%
vs nation
15th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,283
19.3%
-3.1%
vs nation
59th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#351
16.5
-48.9%
vs nation
83th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 17.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.3 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,177
17.6
-10.7%
vs nation
54th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,023
15.2
-14.8%
vs nation
59th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,129
16.3
-19.5%
vs nation
60th percentile

Families & Children

15.9% of children in Clay County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 9.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 29.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,183
9.1
+33.8%
vs nation
13th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,312
29.7
+35.8%
vs nation
23th percentile
Child Poverty#1,245
15.9%
-16.3%
vs nation
60th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Clay County is 61.2%. The mean commute time is 30.9 min, which is 11.8% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
61.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
30.9 min +11.8% vs nation
Rank #743 of 3,222
77th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Clay County voted Republican with a margin of 56.9%. The vote was 20.7% Dem / 77.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +56.9%
20.7% 77.6%
Dem 12,050 votes Rep
2020 REP +56.6%
20.8% 77.4%
Dem 12,267 votes Rep
2016 REP +55.2%
20.5% 75.7%
Dem 11,259 votes Rep
2012 REP +31.5%
33.2% 64.7%
Dem 10,922 votes Rep
2008 REP +11.5%
43.5% 55%
Dem 11,395 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Clay County, Indiana

Clay County, Indiana has a total population of 26,409, making it the 1,601st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clay County is 41.4 years, which is 6.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Clay County is $70,010, which ranks #1,199 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.2%.

The median home value in Clay County is $153,000, 45.7% below the national median. Renters in Clay County pay a median gross rent of $873 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Clay County, 20.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 39.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.9 min.

Clay County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.0%).

All data for Clay County, Indiana 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.