Population 14,280 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Clay County
Household size in Clay County
| Period | Clay County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.30 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.35 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Clay County are small: just 2.35 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.39, mirroring the country.
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 County
| Period | Clay County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.0 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.7 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.2 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.7 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.7 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Clay County is 42.7 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 42.0, a smaller shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the east, the oldest in the north.
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 County
| Period | Clay County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.0% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.0% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Clay County (14.0%), above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 4.0 points from 2006–10, 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 County
Renters in Clay County
| Period | Clay County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.1% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.9% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.6% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.3% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a quarter of households in Clay County rent their homes (25.3%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About six in ten owners (60.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the east and least common in the north. The renter share is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 County
| Period | Clay County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.3% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.1% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.9% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.5% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Clay County: 19.5% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is up 3.2 points from 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 County
| Period | Clay County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +6 |
Housing in Clay County leans older: the median home dates to 1973, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1969 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Clay County has the oldest homes of any Arkansas county.
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 County
| Period | Clay County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $483 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $552 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $642 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $749 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$267 | +$346 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Clay County costs $749 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $267 a month since 2006–10, up 55%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 26.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the north; the most affordable are in the west.
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 County
Bachelor's degrees in Clay County
| Period | Clay County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.2% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Clay County: 15.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 6.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the north.
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 County
| Period | Clay County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.1% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.0% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.5% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.4% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.3 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Clay County never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. That is in line with the rest of Arkansas. The share with a diploma is up 14.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 County
| Period | Clay County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Clay County is close to the national rate: 5.7% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 5.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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 County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 2.35 | 42.7 | 14.0% | 25.3% | 19.5% | 1973 | $749 | 15.2% | 87.4% | 5.7% |
| Dunklin County | 2.42 | 39.6 | 15.4% | 37.7% | 16.4% | 1971 | $678 | 13.1% | 81.3% | 4.5% |
| Randolph County | 2.60 | 41.0 | 13.7% | 26.5% | 14.4% | 1981 | $753 | 11.2% | 83.2% | 4.6% |
| Lake County | 2.10 | 41.7 | 16.6% | 52.2% | 18.3% | 1976 | $524 | 10.6% | 73.0% | 4.8% |
| Obion County | 2.43 | 43.1 | 9.2% | 31.9% | 12.1% | 1974 | $783 | 18.7% | 85.4% | 4.1% |
| Fulton County | 2.54 | 49.0 | 7.7% | 15.3% | 22.5% | 1985 | $640 | 16.0% | 88.4% | 4.9% |
| Weakley County | 2.31 | 39.7 | 10.8% | 33.7% | 12.9% | 1978 | $799 | 22.6% | 86.9% | 3.9% |
| Baxter County | 2.22 | 51.0 | 9.2% | 24.8% | 13.5% | 1986 | $838 | 19.2% | 89.6% | 6.2% |
| Henry County | 2.46 | 46.5 | 10.2% | 26.5% | 18.6% | 1981 | $756 | 19.5% | 89.1% | 4.6% |
| Marion County | 2.24 | 50.8 | 6.0% | 18.7% | 20.0% | 1986 | $844 | 14.9% | 85.6% | 4.9% |
| Stewart County | 2.64 | 43.2 | 5.9% | 18.9% | 21.0% | 1988 | $920 | 17.6% | 89.5% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Morrill County, NE · Lincoln County, ID · Lincoln County, MT · Lincoln County, NM · Lincoln County, WV · Monroe County, IA · Monroe County, KY · Monroe County, MO · Monroe County, WV · Montgomery County, AR
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 County. 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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