Clay County, Minnesota Demographics 2026

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

Clay County, Minnesota has a population of 66,059, the 16th most populous county in Minnesota. The median household income is $81,172 and the median home value is $265,500. The poverty rate is 13.3%.

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

Clay County Quick Facts

Population 66,059

Median Household Income $81,172

Median Home Value $265,500

Poverty Rate 13.3%

Unemployment Rate 4.1%

Median Age 33.7 years

Homeownership Rate 65.9%

Affordability Ratio 3.3x

Bachelor's Degree+ 39.3%

High School Graduation 95.3%

Cities/Places 12

Population 66,059 16th of 87

Median Income $81,172 9% lower than state

Poverty Rate 13.3%

Unemployment 4.1%

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	65,628	66,059	+0.7%
Median household income	$77,664	$81,172	+4.5%
Median home value	$256,000	$265,500	+3.7%

Median Household Income

Clay

$81,172

$89,062

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Clay

$265,500

$329,300

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 16.8%

$25K-$50K 15.2%

$50K-$100K 28.2%

$100K+ 39.9%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

5.9%

$10K-$15K

3.7%

$15K-$20K

4.1%

$20K-$25K

3.0%

$25K-$30K

2.9%

$30K-$35K

3.0%

$35K-$40K

3.3%

$40K-$45K

2.7%

$45K-$50K

3.3%

$50K-$60K

6.3%

$60K-$75K

8.2%

$75K-$100K

13.7%

$100K-$125K

12.2%

$125K-$150K

8.2%

$150K-$200K

10.8%

$200K+

8.7%

Employment

4.1% Unemployment Rate State: 4.1%|National: 5.2%

70.3% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 65.9%

Renter 34.1%

Affordability Index Affordable

3.3x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,019/mo 15.1% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

24.7%

18-34

26.8%

35-54

24.5%

55-74

18.0%

75+

6.0%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Low Diversity

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

State average: 41 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Clay County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Moorhead	45,036	$72,761	16.1%	$249,000
Dilworth	4,713	$90,694	15.1%	$261,800
Barnesville	2,762	$97,917	1.8%	$248,700
Hawley	2,178	$99,188	4.6%	$280,400
Glyndon	1,098	$95,313	8.0%	$264,800
Sabin	718	$128,500	0.7%	$265,700
Ulen	413	$60,556	24.4%	$174,300
Hitterdal	314	$48,750	14.3%	$151,600
Felton	186	$40,000	18.4%	$157,700
Comstock	100	$76,250	1.0%	$162,500
Georgetown	72	$41,750	16.7%	$115,000
Baker	52	$101,250	0.0%	$160,000

Explore Minnesota 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 Minnesota with a total population of 66,059. It is the 16th most populous county out of 87 in Minnesota. The county encompasses 12 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Clay County is 33.7 years. This is 13% lower than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Clay County is $81,172. This is 9% lower than the state median of $89,062. It is also about the same as the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.3%. This is 43% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.3%. The unemployment rate is 4.1%. This is 1% higher than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $265,500. Housing costs are 19% lower than the state median of $329,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.3x. 65.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 9% lower than the state average of 72.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Clay County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 83.5% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 5.0%. The Asian population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 5.1%.

Education

39.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Clay County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is about the same as the state rate of 39.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 95.3%.

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 Minnesota 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, Minnesota?

Clay County has a population of 66,059, making it the 16th most populous county in Minnesota.

What is the median income in Clay County?

The median household income in Clay County is $81,172 with a poverty rate of 13.3%.

How many cities are in Clay County, Minnesota?

Clay County contains 12 Census-designated places.