Population 6,095 · 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 | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.45 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.42 | 2.51 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.42 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Clay County has 2.42 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. 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 northwest.
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 | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.3 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.8 | 37.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.4 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.3 | 38.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.0 | +0.9 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Clay County are younger than 41.3 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in Nebraska overall, where the median age is 38.3. The median age has dropped from 43.3 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose.
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 | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in ten households in Clay County (9.4%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 2.5 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Compared with other Nebraska counties, though, Clay County has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
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 | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.8% | 31.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.9% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.2% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.1% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Clay County is largely a place of homeowners: only 18.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly six in ten owners (57.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 4.7 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 | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Clay County than nationally: 11.4%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has fallen 3.3 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1951 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1949 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1952 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1954 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Clay County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1954, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1951 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the southwest 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 | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $455 | $730 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $536 | $805 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $613 | $911 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $681 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$226 | +$429 | +$606 |
Rent in Clay County runs $681 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $226 a month from 2006–10, a 50% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 21.4% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the south; the highest are in the northeast.
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 | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.4% | 29.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.4% | 30.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.9% | 32.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.8% | 34.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Clay County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 6.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the southwest.
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 | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.8% | 90.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.9% | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.2% | 91.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.3% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Clay County is above the national rate: 93.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Nebraska as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma is up 3.4 points from 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 | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.6% | 5.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.7% | 5.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.5% | 3.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.8% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Clay County has been strong: just 1.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.8 points, in line with the national trend. 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 | 2.42 | 41.3 | 9.4% | 18.1% | 11.4% | 1954 | $681 | 22.8% | 93.3% | 1.8% |
| Adams County | 2.36 | 40.0 | 13.6% | 30.3% | 6.7% | 1966 | $872 | 30.3% | 92.3% | 2.4% |
| Fillmore County | 2.32 | 46.4 | 5.7% | 19.6% | 13.5% | 1958 | $660 | 23.7% | 95.8% | 0.4% |
| Kearney County | 2.35 | 41.6 | 10.1% | 22.5% | 7.3% | 1963 | $875 | 34.0% | 93.4% | 1.8% |
| Saline County | 2.74 | 37.6 | 13.3% | 24.1% | 10.8% | 1961 | $800 | 21.3% | 81.9% | 2.7% |
| Phelps County | 2.29 | 40.1 | 7.0% | 31.7% | 6.3% | 1966 | $792 | 29.7% | 93.1% | 1.0% |
| Gosper County | 2.42 | 47.8 | 2.8% | 19.0% | 27.7% | 1973 | $798 | 27.9% | 97.8% | 2.3% |
| Johnson County | 2.50 | 42.3 | 9.3% | 32.8% | 18.7% | 1952 | $746 | 18.1% | 87.3% | 3.4% |
| Otoe County | 2.57 | 42.5 | 8.2% | 17.7% | 8.9% | 1968 | $887 | 26.6% | 93.1% | 2.9% |
| Nemaha County | 2.34 | 39.2 | 9.8% | 34.1% | 14.8% | 1952 | $695 | 30.4% | 91.5% | 5.8% |
| Frontier County | 2.29 | 44.3 | 6.3% | 26.0% | 20.6% | 1956 | $651 | 25.8% | 93.8% | 2.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Lee County, AR · Kodiak Island Borough, AK · Koochiching County, MN · Kusilvak Census Area, AK · Adair County, IA · LaSalle Parish, LA · Lafayette County, AR · Lake and Peninsula Borough, AK · Lanier County, GA · Larue County, KY
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.