Clayton County, Georgia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Clayton County, GA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Clayton County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 298,922 | 10,939,918 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2068.2 | 184.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.28% | 1.01% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.8 | 35.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 105,945 | 4,074,039 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Clayton County grew by 10.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 298,922 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Clayton County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.5% of residents. That is 1.8 points above Georgia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 73,144 24.5% +1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 69,292 23.2% +0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 59,115 19.8% -0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 32,948 11.0% -3.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Georgia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.9% of the people living in Clayton County and men 47.1%.
- Women 52.9% Georgia 51.2%
- Men 47.1% Georgia 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Clayton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Clayton County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Clayton County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,849 | $77,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.34% | 5.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Clayton County is about 23% lower than in Georgia.
Housing
| Metric | Clayton County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $196,599 | $256,986 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,432 | $1,392 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 54.5% | 65.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Clayton County is about 11.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,432 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Clayton County spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 253 hours, about 10.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Clayton County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.3 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.7 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 253 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,838 | $6,109 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.6% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 26,077 | 11,986 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,128 | 1,447 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Georgia:
Chattahoochee County (8.6 min), Ben Hill County (12.7 min), Tift County (15.8 min).
Slowest:
Talbot County (40.8 min), McIntosh County (37.7 min), Paulding County (36.4 min).
The average commute time in Clayton County is 30 minutes, longer than the 24 minutes in Georgia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Clayton County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Clayton County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.7% | 30.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.78 | 2.62 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Georgia:
Oconee County (0.4), Fulton County (0.4), Forsyth County (0.4).
Lowest:
Quitman County (0.1), Hancock County (0.1), Taliaferro County (0.1).
Health
Clayton County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Clayton County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.4 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.0% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.7% | 22.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Georgia:
Forsyth County (0.8), Oconee County (0.8), Fayette County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clinch County (0.7), Clay County (0.7), Quitman County (0.7).
Clayton County, GA Compared With Nearby Counties
Clayton County, GA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 298,922 residents against a local median of 249,959. Where Clayton County, GA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 35% below the local median of $303,511 at $196,599.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $59,849 against a local median of $84,927, 30% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 30% below the local median it puts Clayton County, GA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $140,664 on median home price, so Clayton County, GA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Clayton County, GA has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton County, GA | 298,922 | $59,849 #6/6 | $196,599 #6/6 | 30.3 min #4/6 |
| Fayette County, GA | 122,264 | $112,731 | $344,769 | 30.7 min |
| Henry County, GA | 249,959 | $84,927 | $285,266 | 30.5 min |
| DeKalb County, GA | 765,300 | $81,234 | $303,511 | 28.7 min |
| Fulton County, GA | 1,076,535 | $95,452 | $350,958 | 23.5 min |
| Spalding County, GA | 68,892 | $61,891 | $210,294 | 21.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Clayton County, Georgia.
How big is Clayton County, Georgia by population?
About 298,922 people live in Clayton County, Georgia, in 105,945 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 31.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Clayton County, Georgia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Clayton County, Georgia has 2,068 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 24 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Clayton County, Georgia?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($196,599 against $59,849), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,432 a month takes about 29% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Clayton County, Georgia?
Unemployment in Clayton County, Georgia is 7.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Clayton County, Georgia have a college degree?
18.7% of adults in Clayton County, Georgia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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