Clay County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Clay County has a population of 19,921 residents and a median age of 40.2 years, making it the #1,883 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 32.4%. The median home value is $90,700, and the median household income is $40,900, which is 46% below the national median.
Demographics
Clay County has a population of 19,921, making it the #1,883 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.2 years, which is 3.3% 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 $40,900, ranking #3,060 out of 3,222 counties — 45.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 32.4% and unemployment stands at 9.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Clay County is $90,700 (-67.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $724/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Clay County, 15.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 54.0% below the national average, ranking #2,739 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Clay County is 68.3 years. 31.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
27.4% of adults in Clay County smoke , 43.2% are obese , and 13.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 56.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Clay County is 9.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.7 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
53.6% of children in Clay County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 42.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Clay County is 48.2%. The mean commute time is 30.9 min, which is 12.1% above 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 80.3%. The vote was 9.2% Dem / 89.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Clay County, Kentucky
Clay County, Kentucky has a total population of 19,921, making it the 1,883rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clay County is 40.2 years, which is 3.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Clay County is $40,900, which ranks #3,060 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 45.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 32.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.3%.
The median home value in Clay County is $90,700, 67.8% below the national median. Renters in Clay County pay a median gross rent of $724 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Clay County, 15.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.8% 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 91.3% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
All data for Clay County, Kentucky 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.