Clay County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Clay County, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 73% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Clay County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,613 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 52.6 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.01% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 55.1 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,081 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Clay County grew by 15.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 11,613 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Clay County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 33.3% of residents. That is 16.3 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,651 14.2% -7.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,694 14.6% -6.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,339 20.1% -0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,870 33.3% +16.3 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 North Carolina, 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 51.7% of the people living in Clay County and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.3% North Carolina 48.9%
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 | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,775 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.96% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Clay County is about 20% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Clay County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $23,834 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $804 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.2% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Clay County is about 2.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $804 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Clay County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Clay County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.7 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.4 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 156 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,831 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.1% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,704 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,142 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Clay County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
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 | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.4% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Clay County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Clay County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.7% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.9% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Clay County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Clay County, NC is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 11,613 residents against a local median of 29,563. The measure that sets Clay County, NC apart most is median home price: $23,834, 89% below the local median of $210,710.
The counties themselves spread $163,445 on median home price, so Clay County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Clay County, NC has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, NC | 11,613 | $57,775 #3/4 | $23,834 #4/4 | 18.7 min #3/4 |
| Cherokee County, NC | 29,563 | $54,386 | $210,710 | 20.5 min |
| Union County, GA | 26,304 | $68,463 | $336,792 | 18.2 min |
| Macon County, NC | 37,947 | $59,398 | $173,347 | 17.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Clay County, North Carolina.
How many people live in Clay County, North Carolina?
About 11,613 people live in Clay County, North Carolina, in 5,081 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 55.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 18 years.
Is Clay County, North Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Clay County, North Carolina has 53 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 61% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Clay County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 0.4 times the median household income ($23,834 against $57,775), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $804 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Clay County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Clay County, North Carolina is only 2.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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