Clay County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Clay County, MS 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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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 73% of counties in Mississippi
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 77% of counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Clay County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,383 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 44.2 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.13% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.7 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,805 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Clay County declined by 12.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 18,383 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Clay County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.1% of residents. That is 1.1 points below Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,880 21.1% -1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,572 19.4% -0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,693 20.1% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,424 18.6% +0.8 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 Mississippi, 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 53.2% of the people living in Clay County and men 46.8%.
- Women 53.2% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 46.8% Mississippi 48.5%
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 D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Clay County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,569 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.75% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Clay County is about 23% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Clay County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $85,000 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $817 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.3% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Clay County is about 8.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $817 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 | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.6 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.2 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 172 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,321 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.6% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,152 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 606 | 914 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Mississippi:
Sharkey County (11.9 min), Coahoma County (13.2 min), Leflore County (15.2 min).
Slowest:
Wilkinson County (36.8 min), Tate County (32.8 min), Greene County (32.7 min).
The average commute time in Clay County is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Mississippi.
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 | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.2% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.32 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.4), Lafayette County (0.3), Oktibbeha County (0.3).
Lowest:
Issaquena County (0.1), Tallahatchie County (0.2), Greene County (0.2).
Health
Clay County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Clay County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.9% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.4% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.8), Lafayette County (0.8), Oktibbeha County (0.8).
Lowest:
Holmes County (0.7), Quitman County (0.7), Sharkey County (0.7).
Clay County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Clay County, MS is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 18,383 residents against a local median of 51,791. Clay County, MS's median home price, at $85,000, runs 36% below the $132,386 typical of the counties around it.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $43,569 against a local median of $51,586, 16% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 16% below the local median it puts Clay County, MS at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $208,125 on median home price, so Clay County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Clay County, MS has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, MS | 18,383 | $43,569 #4/4 | $85,000 #3/4 | 20.6 min #3/4 |
| Oktibbeha County, MS | 51,791 | $46,668 | $7,499 | 17.1 min |
| Monroe County, MS | 33,747 | $51,586 | $215,625 | 22.5 min |
| Lowndes County, MS | 57,838 | $53,630 | $132,386 | 18.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Clay County, Mississippi.
What is the population of Clay County, Mississippi?
About 18,383 people live in Clay County, Mississippi, in 7,805 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 38.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Clay County, Mississippi urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Clay County, Mississippi has 44 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 51% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Clay County, Mississippi?
The median home costs 2.0 times the median household income ($85,000 against $43,569), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $817 a month takes about 23% 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, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Clay County, Mississippi is 7.2%, 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, Mississippi?
16.2% of adults in Clay County, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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