Clay County, South Dakota
Located in South Dakota, Clay County has a population of 15,219 residents and a median age of 24.9 years, making it the #2,148 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.7%. The median home value is $232,300, and the median household income is $56,850, which is 24% below the national median.
Demographics
Clay County has a population of 15,219, making it the #2,148 most populous county in the US. The median age is 24.9 years, which is 36.0% 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 $56,850, ranking #2,342 out of 3,222 counties — 24.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.7% and unemployment stands at 6.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Clay County is $232,300 (-17.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $770/mo and the homeownership rate is 50.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Clay County, 45.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 34.7% above the national average, ranking #170 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Clay County is 77.2 years. 15.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.3% of adults in Clay County smoke , 39.9% are obese , and 22.6% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.9 per 100,000.
Motor Vehicle Deaths Trend
Families & Children
14.6% of children in Clay County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 5.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Clay County is 50.5%. The mean commute time is 20.9 min, which is 24.4% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Clay County voted Democratic with a margin of 6.5%. The vote was 52% Dem / 45.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Clay County, South Dakota
Clay County, South Dakota has a total population of 15,219, making it the 2,148th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clay County is 24.9 years, which is 36.0% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Clay County is $56,850, which ranks #2,342 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 24.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.9%.
The median home value in Clay County is $232,300, 17.6% below the national median. Renters in Clay County pay a median gross rent of $770 per month. The homeownership rate is 50.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Clay County, 45.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 34.7% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.9 min.
Clay County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 84.2% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.3%).
All data for Clay County, South Dakota 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.