Population 13,107 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Clay
Household size in Clay
| Period | Clay | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.86 | 2.56 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.69 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.85 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.94 | 2.57 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | +0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Clay are large by national standards, averaging 2.94 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has crept up from 2.86 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Only ten of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Clay
| Period | Clay | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.8 | 37.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 39.1 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.3 | 39.9 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.6 | 40.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.8 | +2.1 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Clay are younger than 38.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 37.8, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the southwest, the oldest in the northeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Clay
| Period | Clay | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 12.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.6% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Clay (14.6%), above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 7.3 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Clay
Renters in Clay
| Period | Clay | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 27.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 30.4% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.3% | 30.6% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 29.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +1.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Clay is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 30.5% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 2.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Clay
| Period | Clay | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 12.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 12.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 13.6% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 11.6% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Clay than nationally: 11.9%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has risen 6.0 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Clay
| Period | Clay | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1987 | 1979 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1990 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1991 | 1984 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Clay has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1991, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1987 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Clay
| Period | Clay | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $940 | $827 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,302 | $903 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,026 | $984 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,800 | $1,238 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$860 | +$412 | +$375 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Clay costs $1,800 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $860 a month since 2006–10, up 92%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 27.6% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the east.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Clay
Bachelor's degrees in Clay
| Period | Clay | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.6% | 28.3% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.7% | 29.1% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.6% | 31.1% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.1% | 34.7% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +6.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Clay have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.1%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national share rose.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Clay
| Period | Clay | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.9% | 85.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.9% | 86.8% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.4% | 88.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.7% | 90.5% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | +4.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Clay have finished high school as nationally: 90.7%, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is down 1.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Clay
| Period | Clay | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 8.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.5% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.2%, unemployment in Clay is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the Birmingham area overall (4.4%). Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Clay compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | 2.94 | 38.6 | 14.6% | 13.4% | 11.9% | 1991 | $1,800 | 22.1% | 90.7% | 5.2% |
| Pinson | 2.83 | 38.7 | 19.4% | 17.1% | 10.2% | 1984 | $1,324 | 16.7% | 89.5% | 4.5% |
| Trussville | 2.83 | 41.2 | 8.5% | 9.9% | 5.5% | 1997 | $1,453 | 42.5% | 95.8% | 1.4% |
| Center Point | 2.65 | 36.2 | 24.3% | 43.3% | 14.0% | 1973 | $1,216 | 17.1% | 89.9% | 9.4% |
| Argo | 2.82 | 35.9 | 9.2% | 4.6% | 6.2% | 2005 | $953 | 35.4% | 94.3% | 1.7% |
| Village Springs | 2.58 | 45.0 | 16.4% | 8.1% | 7.3% | 1988 | $1,174 | 17.8% | 90.7% | 4.0% |
| Margaret | 2.93 | 33.6 | 15.0% | 14.1% | 8.4% | 2006 | $1,298 | 19.0% | 88.1% | 3.1% |
| Springville Lake Estates | 2.76 | 37.8 | 3.5% | 3.4% | 10.6% | 1995 | $854 | 20.1% | 86.5% | 7.5% |
| Moody | 2.66 | 41.8 | 9.0% | 25.1% | 8.6% | 2001 | $1,549 | 27.3% | 92.8% | 5.7% |
| Morris | 2.73 | 41.0 | 6.4% | 11.3% | 11.7% | 1995 | $947 | 28.3% | 90.4% | 2.3% |
| Irondale | 2.37 | 40.0 | 9.7% | 36.6% | 7.9% | 1981 | $1,246 | 40.1% | 91.4% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lake Ariel, PA · Poquoson, VA · Pontiac, IL · Polk City, FL · Pleasantville, NY · Lansdowne, VA · Lanett, AL · Lakewood Park, FL · Lakeland, TN · Lake Stickney, WA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Clay. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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