Clay County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Clay County has a population of 11,610 residents and a median age of 55.0 years, making it the #2,383 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.9%. The median home value is $278,400, and the median household income is $56,971, which is 24% below the national median.
Demographics
Clay County has a population of 11,610, making it the #2,383 most populous county in the US. The median age is 55.0 years, which is 41.4% 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 $56,971, ranking #2,331 out of 3,222 counties — 24.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.9% and unemployment stands at 2.6%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Clay County is $278,400 (-1.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $804/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Clay County, 31.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 5.7% below the national average, ranking #641 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Clay County is 76.8 years. 18.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.9% of adults in Clay County smoke , 32.7% are obese , and 20.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 31.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 22.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.2 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
22.2% of children in Clay County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 27.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Clay County is 76.1%. The mean commute time is 24.7 min, which is 10.4% 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 50.1%. The vote was 24.6% Dem / 74.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Clay County, North Carolina
Clay County, North Carolina has a total population of 11,610, making it the 2,383rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clay County is 55.0 years, which is 41.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Clay County is $56,971, which ranks #2,331 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 24.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.6%.
The median home value in Clay County is $278,400, 1.2% below the national median. Renters in Clay County pay a median gross rent of $804 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Clay County, 31.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 5.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 84.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.7 min.
Clay County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.2% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.1%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (2.2%).
All data for Clay County, North Carolina 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.