Clay County, Illinois Demographics 2026

Name: Clay County, Illinois Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Clay County, Illinois has a population of 13,052, the 80th most populous county in Illinois. The median household income is $60,417 and the median home value is $97,400. The poverty rate is 17.5%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Clay County Quick Facts

Population 13,052

Median Household Income $60,417

Median Home Value $97,400

Poverty Rate 17.5%

Unemployment Rate 4.8%

Median Age 40.4 years

Homeownership Rate 79.3%

Affordability Ratio 1.6x

Bachelor's Degree+ 13.1%

High School Graduation 90.5%

Cities/Places 6

Population 13,052 80th of 102

Median Income $60,417 28% lower than state

Poverty Rate 17.5%

Unemployment 4.8%

How Clay County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	13,173	13,052	-0.9%
Median household income	$57,266	$60,417	+5.5%
Median home value	$94,300	$97,400	+3.3%

Median Household Income

Clay

$60,417

$83,390

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Clay

$97,400

$263,300

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 20.7%

$25K-$50K 21.3%

$50K-$100K 34.4%

$100K+ 23.6%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

5.7%

$10K-$15K

5.5%

$15K-$20K

6.0%

$20K-$25K

3.5%

$25K-$30K

4.8%

$30K-$35K

2.6%

$35K-$40K

4.7%

$40K-$45K

6.8%

$45K-$50K

2.4%

$50K-$60K

7.7%

$60K-$75K

9.7%

$75K-$100K

16.9%

$100K-$125K

8.2%

$125K-$150K

5.1%

$150K-$200K

4.9%

$200K+

5.4%

Employment

4.8% Unemployment Rate State: 5.8%|National: 5.2%

56.6% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 79.3%

Renter 20.7%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

1.6x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $735/mo 14.6% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

23.8%

18-34

18.7%

35-54

23.1%

55-74

25.7%

75+

8.7%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Very Low Diversity

A less diverse community where one racial or ethnic group represents a large majority.

State average: 61 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Clay County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Flora	4,475	$47,148	18.9%	$77,300
Louisville	1,163	$43,750	30.6%	$87,100
Clay City	723	$53,472	32.5%	$83,200
Xenia	389	$45,313	14.6%	$90,000
Iola	90	$46,250	15.6%	$65,000
Sailor Springs	60	N/A	11.7%	N/A

Explore Illinois Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Clay County is located in Illinois with a total population of 13,052. It is the 80th most populous county out of 102 in Illinois. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Clay County is 40.4 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Clay County is $60,417. This is 28% lower than the state median of $83,390. It is also 25% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 17.5%. This is 48% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.8%. The unemployment rate is 4.8%. This is 17% lower than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $97,400. Housing costs are 63% lower than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.6x, Clay County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 79.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 18% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

Clay County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 94.8% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.0%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (94.8% vs 58.1%). The Black or African American population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 13.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.0%) is well below the state average of 18.8%. The Asian population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 5.9%.

Education

13.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 65% lower than the state rate of 37.9%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 90.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Clay County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Illinois and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Clay County, Illinois?

Clay County has a population of 13,052, making it the 80th most populous county in Illinois.

What is the median income in Clay County?

The median household income in Clay County is $60,417 with a poverty rate of 17.5%.

How many cities are in Clay County, Illinois?

Clay County contains 6 Census-designated places.