Clay County, Kansas

KS · FIPS 20027 Republican

Located in Kansas, Clay County has a population of 8,048 residents and a median age of 43.7 years, making it the #2,653 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.4%. The median home value is $155,900, and the median household income is $66,176, which is 12% below the national median.

8,048
Population
#2,653 of 3,222
$66,176
Median Income
-11.9% #1,517 of 3,222
43.7 years
Median Age
+12.3% #1,014 of 3,222
13.4%
Poverty Rate
+6.0% #1,613 of 3,222

Demographics

Clay County has a population of 8,048, making it the #2,653 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.7 years, which is 12.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.1%
Native Born
0.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Clay County is $66,176, ranking #1,517 out of 3,222 counties — 11.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.4% and unemployment stands at 1.0%.

Income#1,517
$66,176
-11.9%
vs nation
53th percentile
Per Capita#1,117
$37,854
-8.3%
vs nation
65th percentile
Poverty#1,613
13.4%
+6.0%
vs nation
50th percentile
Unemployment#96
1.0%
-81.0%
vs nation
97th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Clay County is $155,900 (-44.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $937/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.0%.

Home Value#2,126
$155,900
-44.7%
vs nation
34th percentile
Rent#1,244
$937
-19.4%
vs nation
61th percentile
Homeownership#958
78.0%
+21.1%
vs nation
70th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Clay County, 25.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 24.3% below the national average, ranking #1,166 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.5% −24.3% vs nation
Rank #1,166 of 3,222
64th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Clay County is 78.2 years. 17.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#596
78.2
+4.0%
vs nation
81th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,235
17.6%
-10.0%
vs nation
61th percentile
Diabetes#1,412
10.5%
-5.7%
vs nation
55th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,050
35.5%
-4.8%
vs nation
67th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,381
5.5
-1.6%
vs nation
56th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#582
3.8
-14.1%
vs nation
82th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,566
9.4%
-10.4%
vs nation
50th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,929
27.7%
+5.0%
vs nation
39th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,424
13.8%
-4.2%
vs nation
55th percentile

Substance Use

19.8% of adults in Clay County smoke , 40.1% are obese , and 19.8% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,223
19.8%
+10.3%
vs nation
29th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,091
40.1%
+5.8%
vs nation
34th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,499
19.8%
-0.4%
vs nation
52th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.6 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,536
19.6
-3.4%
vs nation
46th percentile

Families & Children

14.6% of children in Clay County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 10.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#509
10.9
-50.0%
vs nation
83th percentile
Child Poverty#1,032
14.6%
-23.1%
vs nation
67th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Clay County is 68.3%. The mean commute time is 26.3 min, which is 4.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
68.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.3 min −4.9% vs nation
Rank #1,636 of 3,222
49th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Clay County voted Republican with a margin of 55.5%. The vote was 21.1% Dem / 76.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +55.5%
21.1% 76.6%
Dem 4,113 votes Rep
2020 REP +54.3%
21.4% 75.7%
Dem 4,134 votes Rep
2016 REP +58.2%
17.8% 76%
Dem 3,727 votes Rep
2012 REP +53.2%
22.6% 75.8%
Dem 3,584 votes Rep
2008 REP +49.1%
24.9% 74%
Dem 4,054 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Clay County, Kansas

Clay County, Kansas has a total population of 8,048, making it the 2,653rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clay County is 43.7 years, which is 12.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Clay County is $66,176, which ranks #1,517 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.0%.

The median home value in Clay County is $155,900, 44.7% below the national median. Renters in Clay County pay a median gross rent of $937 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Clay County, 25.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 24.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.3 min.

Clay County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).

All data for Clay County, Kansas 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.