Clay County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Clay County has a population of 258,122 residents and a median age of 37.9 years, making it the #278 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.5%. The median home value is $275,600, and the median household income is $88,468, which is 18% above the national median.
Demographics
Clay County has a population of 258,122, making it the #278 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.9 years, which is 2.6% below 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 $88,468, ranking #339 out of 3,222 counties — 17.7% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.5% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Clay County is $275,600 (-2.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,243/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Clay County, 36.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 8.4% above the national average, ranking #400 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Clay County is 78.0 years. 15.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.3% of adults in Clay County smoke , 35.2% are obese , and 20.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 21.0 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Clay County is 4.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 19.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.1 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
8.9% of children in Clay County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 12.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Clay County is 69.3%. The mean commute time is 25.1 min, which is 9.1% 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 5.6%. The vote was 46.4% Dem / 52% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Clay County, Missouri
Clay County, Missouri has a total population of 258,122, making it the 278th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clay County is 37.9 years, which is 2.6% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Clay County is $88,468, which ranks #339 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 17.7% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.5%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.
The median home value in Clay County is $275,600, 2.2% below the national median. Renters in Clay County pay a median gross rent of $1,243 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Clay County, 36.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 8.4% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.1 min.
Clay County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 77.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (8.0%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (6.8%).
All data for Clay County, Missouri 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.