Population 66,059 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Clay County
Household size in Clay County
| Period | Clay County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Clay County has 2.41 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has edged down from 2.48 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Households are largest in the southeast and smallest 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 | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.3 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.1 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.8 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.1, Clay County is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 34.3, as it has nationally. Of Minnesota's 87 counties, only two are younger.
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 | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.1% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.2% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Clay County than nationally: 9.2%, against 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of Minnesota. The single-parent share is down 1.3 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.8% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.6% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.5% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.1% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Clay County is about as common as it is nationally: 34.1% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Minnesota as a whole (27.8%). Among homeowners, 34.1% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 5.3 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Clay County: just 5.1% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has fallen 1.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only six of Minnesota's 87 counties have a lower vacancy rate.
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 | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Clay County are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Minnesota overall, where the median home dates to 1978. The median year built has moved up from 1976 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 County
| Period | Clay County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $671 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $760 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $888 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,030 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$359 | +$522 | +$606 |
The median renter in Clay County pays $1,030 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $359 a month since 2006–10, up 53%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 31.3% of the typical renter's income, just over 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 | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.2% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.9% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.4% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.3% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Clay County (39.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only eight of Minnesota's 87 counties have a higher 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 | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.8% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.9% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.7% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.9% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Clay County: 94.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Minnesota as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma is up 2.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.6% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Clay County runs below the national rate: 4.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The picture is much the same across Minnesota. 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 | 35.1 | 9.2% | 34.1% | 5.1% | 1983 | $1,030 | 39.3% | 94.9% | 4.0% |
| Cass County | 2.37 | 33.8 | 8.2% | 48.0% | 6.9% | 1992 | $1,163 | 45.7% | 96.0% | 2.9% |
| Norman County | 2.33 | 44.0 | 10.5% | 20.6% | 15.7% | 1959 | $771 | 23.0% | 93.7% | 5.2% |
| Wilkin County | 2.34 | 42.1 | 9.5% | 20.3% | 10.6% | 1968 | $1,167 | 22.1% | 93.2% | 4.3% |
| Becker County | 2.45 | 44.3 | 9.1% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 1980 | $984 | 28.2% | 93.2% | 4.4% |
| Mahnomen County | 2.81 | 35.3 | 20.5% | 26.7% | 22.1% | 1974 | $691 | 16.1% | 88.3% | 9.6% |
| Otter Tail County | 2.41 | 45.9 | 6.5% | 20.5% | 24.5% | 1978 | $900 | 27.7% | 94.0% | 4.5% |
| Ransom County | 2.29 | 46.3 | 6.6% | 25.3% | 8.2% | 1969 | $803 | 23.0% | 92.0% | 2.5% |
| Barnes County | 2.10 | 42.7 | 8.2% | 29.2% | 14.5% | 1962 | $757 | 31.0% | 93.8% | 3.6% |
| Wadena County | 2.31 | 41.6 | 11.3% | 26.4% | 12.7% | 1974 | $790 | 20.1% | 92.6% | 5.5% |
| Hubbard County | 2.44 | 48.3 | 7.1% | 16.9% | 33.2% | 1986 | $963 | 30.5% | 94.0% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Windsor County, VT · Anderson County, TX · Autauga County, AL · Pickaway County, OH · Lyon County, NV · Marion County, WV · Maverick County, TX · Mercer County, WV · Montcalm County, MI · Newton County, MO
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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