Clay County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Clay County, KY 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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D
Health Well below averageLeast healthy county in Kentucky
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F
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Kentucky
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Clay County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,921 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 42.3 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.75% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.3 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,287 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Clay County declined by 16.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,921 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Clay County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.9% of residents. That is 3.0 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,958 19.9% -1.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,768 23.9% +3.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,198 21.1% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,380 17.0% -0.9 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 Kentucky, 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 47.7% of the people living in Clay County and men 52.3%.
- Women 47.7% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 52.3% Kentucky 49.5%
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 F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Clay County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,558 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.82% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Clay County is about 37% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Clay County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $43,332 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $724 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.4% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Clay County is about 5.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $724 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Clay County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 172 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Clay County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.6 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.2 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 172 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,324 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.4% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,052 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 557 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Clay County is about the same as in Kentucky.
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 F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Clay County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.4% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Clay County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Clay County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.4 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 31.2% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 34.6% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Clay County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Clay County, KY compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, KY | 19,921 | $40,558 #2/3 | $43,332 #3/3 | 20.6 min #3/3 |
| Knox County, KY | 29,865 | $32,074 | $87,692 | 18.3 min |
| Laurel County, KY | 62,983 | $58,280 | $177,934 | 18.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Clay County, Kentucky.
What is the population of Clay County, Kentucky?
About 19,921 people live in Clay County, Kentucky, in 7,287 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Clay County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Clay County, Kentucky has 42 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 49% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Clay County, Kentucky an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.1 times the median household income ($43,332 against $40,558), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $724 a month takes about 21% 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, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Clay County, Kentucky is 9.3%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Clay County, Kentucky?
13.4% of adults in Clay County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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