Population 26,409 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Clay County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Clay County
Household size in Clay County
| Period | Clay County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.61 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.60 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Clay County run a little small, averaging 2.54 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.61, as it has nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
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 | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.9 | 37.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.8 | 38.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.5 | 39.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.0 | 39.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.1 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Clay County skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.0, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 39.9 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Clay County as they are nationally: 12.4%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 2.7 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 County
Renters in Clay County
| Period | Clay County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.9% | 28.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.4% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.4% | 30.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.1% | 29.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 19.1% 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 four in ten owners (39.5%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southwest. The renter share is down 1.7 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 | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.8% | 9.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Clay County as nationally: 10.8%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Indiana overall (9.3%). Vacancy has fallen 2.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1977 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Clay County run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1974 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1965 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the north 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 | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $653 | $763 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $703 | $819 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $676 | $903 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $931 | $1,146 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$278 | +$384 | +$606 |
The median renter in Clay County pays $931 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $278 a month since 2006–10, up 43%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 23.9% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest in the southwest.
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 | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.4% | 23.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.8% | 24.6% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.1% | 27.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.2% | 30.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Clay County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.2%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 5.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the east 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 | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.7% | 86.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.6% | 87.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.2% | 88.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.4% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Clay County have finished high school as nationally: 90.4%, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 2.7 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 4.9% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Clay County than nationally: unemployment was 3.4%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 3.7 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 | 2.54 | 42.0 | 12.4% | 19.1% | 10.8% | 1974 | $931 | 20.2% | 90.4% | 3.4% |
| Vigo County | 2.38 | 37.3 | 13.2% | 38.3% | 11.6% | 1970 | $961 | 27.4% | 90.9% | 5.8% |
| Owen County | 2.51 | 44.9 | 10.4% | 18.6% | 12.5% | 1982 | $854 | 16.7% | 87.7% | 2.9% |
| Clark County | 2.36 | 43.1 | 13.9% | 19.7% | 12.1% | 1970 | $886 | 25.1% | 92.6% | 3.5% |
| Morgan County | 2.57 | 42.4 | 10.8% | 17.9% | 6.8% | 1981 | $1,097 | 21.2% | 90.2% | 4.0% |
| Johnson County | 2.67 | 38.9 | 10.5% | 27.3% | 6.0% | 1992 | $1,460 | 35.2% | 92.2% | 3.0% |
| Coles County | 2.11 | 40.6 | 11.3% | 39.6% | 10.2% | 1969 | $806 | 28.4% | 91.4% | 5.7% |
| Shelby County | 2.46 | 42.3 | 12.3% | 27.5% | 7.1% | 1973 | $1,016 | 22.4% | 90.9% | 3.3% |
| Decatur County | 2.43 | 40.9 | 10.2% | 23.9% | 9.3% | 1973 | $881 | 20.0% | 91.2% | 2.4% |
| Shelby County | 2.34 | 44.8 | 10.4% | 21.6% | 12.3% | 1966 | $804 | 18.5% | 94.9% | 3.2% |
| Franklin County | 2.53 | 43.4 | 9.8% | 18.5% | 7.2% | 1980 | $869 | 20.2% | 91.0% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Simpson County, MS · Jackson County, AR · Itawamba County, MS · Iroquois County, IL · Iowa County, WI · Shelby County, TX · Sheridan County, WY · Inyo County, CA · Idaho County, ID · Silver Bow County, MT
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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.