Clay County, Indiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Clay County, IN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 71% of counties in Indiana
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Clay County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,409 | 6,845,048 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 73.4 | 188.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.07% | 0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.6 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,549 | 2,713,821 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Clay County declined by 1.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,409 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Clay County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.7% of residents. That is 1.2 points above Indiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,095 19.3% -2.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,373 20.3% -0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,477 20.7% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,938 18.7% +2.0 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 Indiana, 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 50.5% of the people living in Clay County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Indiana 50.4%
- Men 49.5% Indiana 49.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Clay County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Clay County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Clay County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,786 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.53% | 4.54% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Clay County is about 2% lower than in Indiana.
Housing
| Metric | Clay County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $206,944 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $872 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.9% | 70.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Clay County is about 19.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $872 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Clay County spend about 55 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 228 hours, about 9.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Clay County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.4 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 54.8 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 228 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,079 | $5,455 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.8% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,701 | 8,333 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 703 | 1,308 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Indiana:
Knox County (15.8 min), Howard County (15.9 min), Daviess County (16.3 min).
Slowest:
Crawford County (33.6 min), Brown County (32.6 min), Franklin County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Clay County is 27 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Indiana.
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
Clay County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Clay County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.8% | 26.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.46 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Indiana:
Hamilton County (0.4), Boone County (0.4), Monroe County (0.3).
Lowest:
LaGrange County (0.1), Crawford County (0.2), Switzerland County (0.2).
Health
Clay County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Clay County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.2% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.9% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Indiana:
Hamilton County (0.8), Monroe County (0.8), Boone County (0.8).
Lowest:
LaGrange County (0.8), Daviess County (0.8), Switzerland County (0.8).
Clay County, IN Compared With Nearby Counties
Clay County, IN is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 26,409 residents against a local median of 34,151. Where Clay County, IN breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 54% above the local median of $134,473 at $206,944.
The counties themselves spread $289,722 on median home price, so Clay County, IN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Clay County, IN has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, IN | 26,409 | $70,786 #2/5 | $206,944 #2/5 | 27.4 min #4/5 |
| Vigo County, IN | 106,109 | $52,462 | $64,620 | 16.9 min |
| Owen County, IN | 21,604 | $64,192 | $305,556 | 30.0 min |
| Putnam County, IN | 37,280 | $77,280 | $204,327 | 22.5 min |
| Greene County, IN | 31,021 | $62,067 | $15,833 | 26.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Clay County, Indiana.
How big is Clay County, Indiana by population?
About 26,409 people live in Clay County, Indiana, in 10,549 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Clay County, Indiana mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Clay County, Indiana has 73 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Clay County, Indiana?
The median home costs 2.9 times the median household income ($206,944 against $70,786), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $872 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Clay County, Indiana?
Unemployment in Clay County, Indiana is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Clay County, Indiana have a college degree?
15.8% of adults in Clay County, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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