Clay County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Clay County, SD 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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A
Health Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in South Dakota
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 82% of counties in South Dakota
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A
Education Above averageBest educated county in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Clay County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,219 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 36.5 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.04% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 24.0 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,547 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Clay County grew by 13.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 15,219 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Clay County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 44.1% of residents. That is 22.1 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,709 44.1% +22.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,304 15.1% -5.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,973 13.0% -5.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,844 12.1% -5.1 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 South Dakota, 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% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 49.5% South Dakota 50.4%
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 | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,627 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.36% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Clay County is about 23% lower than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Clay County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $178,750 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $769 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 50.8% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Clay County is about 19.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $769 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Clay County spend about 22 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 92 hours, about 3.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Clay County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.1 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 22.2 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 92 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,865 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.6% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,182 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 297 | 353 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
South Dakota:
Jones County (6.7 min), Bennett County (7.5 min), Jackson County (7.8 min).
Slowest:
Custer County (25.5 min), McCook County (25.4 min), Turner County (23.1 min).
The average commute time in Clay County is 11 minutes, shorter than the 15 minutes in South Dakota.
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 A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Clay County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.2% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.29 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
South Dakota:
Clay County (0.4), Lincoln County (0.3), Stanley County (0.3).
Lowest:
Buffalo County (0.1), Mellette County (0.2), Oglala Lakota County (0.2).
Health
Clay County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Clay County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.9 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.0% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.4% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
South Dakota:
Brookings County (0.8), Lincoln County (0.8), Clay County (0.8).
Lowest:
Todd County (0.7), Buffalo County (0.7), Mellette County (0.7).
Clay County, SD Compared With Nearby Counties
How Clay County, SD compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, SD | 15,219 | $57,627 #2/2 | $178,750 #1/2 | 11.1 min #1/2 |
| Yankton County, SD | 23,415 | $73,291 | $22,808 | 11.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Clay County, South Dakota.
How big is Clay County, South Dakota by population?
About 15,219 people live in Clay County, South Dakota, in 5,547 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 24.0, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 13 years.
Is Clay County, South Dakota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Clay County, South Dakota has 36 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 42% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Clay County, South Dakota?
The median home costs 3.1 times the median household income ($178,750 against $57,627), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $769 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Clay County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Clay County, South Dakota is 6.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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