Clay County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Clay County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 18,462. It is the 49th most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Clay County is 40.1 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 38.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Clay County is $39,904. This is 27% lower than the state median of $54,915. It is also 49% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 24.8%. This is 30% higher than the state poverty rate of 19.1%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 6.7%. This is 11% higher than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $115,600. Housing costs are 28% lower than the state median of $161,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.9x, Clay County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 70.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% higher than the state average of 69.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Clay County is Black or African American, making up 60.1% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 37.9%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (60.1% vs 36.9%). The Hispanic or Latino population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 3.6%. The Asian population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 1.0%.

Education

18.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 25% lower than the state rate of 24.2%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 82.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Clay County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Mississippi 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.