Clay County, Nebraska

NE · FIPS 31035 Republican

Located in Nebraska, Clay County has a population of 6,095 residents and a median age of 39.1 years, making it the #2,804 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 6.9%. The median home value is $155,600, and the median household income is $78,986, which is 5% above the national median.

6,095
Population
#2,804 of 3,222
$78,986
Median Income
+5.1% #625 of 3,222
39.1 years
Median Age
+0.5% #2,360 of 3,222
6.9%
Poverty Rate
-45.2% #199 of 3,222

Demographics

Clay County has a population of 6,095, making it the #2,804 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.1 years, which is 0.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.4%
Native Born
2.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Clay County is $78,986, ranking #625 out of 3,222 counties — 5.1% above the national median. The poverty rate is 6.9% and unemployment stands at 1.9%.

Income#625
$78,986
+5.1%
vs nation
81th percentile
Per Capita#917
$39,221
-4.9%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poverty#199
6.9%
-45.2%
vs nation
94th percentile
Unemployment#258
1.9%
-64.1%
vs nation
92th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Clay County is $155,600 (-44.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $645/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.9%.

Home Value#2,135
$155,600
-44.8%
vs nation
34th percentile
Rent#2,956
$645
-44.5%
vs nation
8th percentile
Homeownership#374
81.9%
+27.2%
vs nation
88th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Clay County, 22.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 33.9% below the national average, ranking #1,613 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
22.3% −33.9% vs nation
Rank #1,613 of 3,222
50th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Clay County is 78.1 years. 15.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#612
78.1
+3.9%
vs nation
80th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#771
15.9%
-18.7%
vs nation
76th percentile
Diabetes#1,104
9.9%
-11.1%
vs nation
65th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#251
31.3%
-16.1%
vs nation
92th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#132
4.5
-19.4%
vs nation
96th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#392
3.7
-17.2%
vs nation
88th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,378
8.7%
-17.4%
vs nation
56th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,895
27.5%
+4.2%
vs nation
40th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,067
12.7%
-11.8%
vs nation
66th percentile

Substance Use

17.2% of adults in Clay County smoke , 44.2% are obese , and 22.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,362
17.2%
-4.2%
vs nation
57th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,944
44.2%
+16.6%
vs nation
6th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,498
22.4%
+12.9%
vs nation
21th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 25.2 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,105
25.2
+24.5%
vs nation
25th percentile

Families & Children

9.9% of children in Clay County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 16.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,133
16.9
-22.5%
vs nation
62th percentile
Child Poverty#324
9.9%
-47.9%
vs nation
90th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Clay County is 77.5%. The mean commute time is 23.8 min, which is 13.8% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
77.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.8 min −13.8% vs nation
Rank #2,185 of 3,222
32th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Clay County voted Republican with a margin of 63.5%. The vote was 17.4% Dem / 80.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +63.5%
17.4% 80.9%
Dem 3,310 votes Rep
2020 REP +62.1%
17.7% 79.8%
Dem 3,570 votes Rep
2016 REP +64.0%
15.8% 79.8%
Dem 2,973 votes Rep
2012 REP +53.2%
22.7% 75.9%
Dem 2,916 votes Rep
2008 REP +46.1%
25.7% 71.8%
Dem 3,033 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Clay County, Nebraska

Clay County, Nebraska has a total population of 6,095, making it the 2,804th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clay County is 39.1 years, which is 0.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Clay County is $78,986, which ranks #625 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 5.1% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 6.9%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.9%.

The median home value in Clay County is $155,600, 44.8% below the national median. Renters in Clay County pay a median gross rent of $645 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Clay County, 22.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 33.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.8 min.

Clay County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 87.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (9.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).

All data for Clay County, Nebraska 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.