Population 13,052 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Clay County
Household size in Clay County
| Period | Clay County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.45 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.45 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.26 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Clay County run small, averaging 2.41 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.45, mirroring the country. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.4 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.5 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Clay County is 41.7 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the northeast. Compared with other Illinois counties, though, Clay County is younger than most.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Clay County than nationally: 13.2%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 5.3 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Few Illinois counties have a higher share of single-parent households: only nine of 102.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.6% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.0% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.7% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 20.7% of households in Clay County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About half of owners (51.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the north and least common in the southwest. The renter share has fallen 2.9 points since 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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Clay County: 14.2% 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.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +4 | +6 |
Housing in Clay County leans a little older: the median home dates to 1975, against 1980 nationally. Still, homes here are newer than in Illinois as a whole, where the median home dates to 1970. The median year built has moved up from 1966 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the south has the oldest housing.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $481 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $550 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $581 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $719 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$237 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Clay County runs $719 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $237 a month from 2006–10, a 49% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 24.0% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.3% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Clay County: 13.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has edged down 0.5 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Only three of Illinois' 102 counties have a lower share of college graduates.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.2% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.2% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Clay County is close to the national rate: 90.5% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 4.3 points since 2006–10, as it has 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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Clay County runs below the national rate: 4.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 4.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 | 2.41 | 41.7 | 13.2% | 20.7% | 14.2% | 1975 | $719 | 13.2% | 90.5% | 4.6% |
| Richland County | 2.40 | 41.7 | 8.3% | 26.2% | 13.0% | 1973 | $723 | 18.7% | 91.2% | 3.0% |
| Lawrence County | 2.61 | 41.5 | 10.9% | 28.2% | 15.0% | 1964 | $814 | 14.7% | 87.3% | 7.5% |
| Bond County | 2.32 | 41.4 | 8.4% | 23.4% | 10.8% | 1970 | $761 | 22.9% | 90.6% | 3.8% |
| Knox County | 2.32 | 39.7 | 11.0% | 32.2% | 13.2% | 1963 | $945 | 20.3% | 89.9% | 3.1% |
| Daviess County | 2.91 | 36.0 | 9.0% | 27.6% | 9.0% | 1975 | $808 | 16.7% | 75.1% | 1.4% |
| Madison County | 2.41 | 40.9 | 11.1% | 25.8% | 8.0% | 1974 | $1,069 | 32.6% | 94.1% | 4.5% |
| Martin County | 2.56 | 42.5 | 9.6% | 21.5% | 14.9% | 1979 | $694 | 13.5% | 89.0% | 2.5% |
| St. Louis City | 2.02 | 38.2 | 13.3% | 54.7% | 16.3% | 1946 | $1,044 | 41.0% | 90.7% | 5.9% |
| St. Louis County | 2.44 | 41.3 | 11.4% | 30.8% | 8.0% | 1969 | $1,388 | 47.6% | 94.5% | 4.4% |
| Lawrence County | 2.38 | 42.6 | 9.2% | 19.3% | 8.2% | 1973 | $908 | 20.4% | 89.8% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Morgan County, KY · Lee County, KY · Lee County, SC · Lee County, TX · Lee County, VA · Leelanau County, MI · Lemhi County, ID · Leslie County, KY · Letcher County, KY · Lewis County, ID
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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