Clay County, Missouri Demographics 2026

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

Clay County, Missouri has a population of 258,122, the 6th most populous county in Missouri. The median household income is $88,468 and the median home value is $275,600. The poverty rate is 8.5%.

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

Clay County Quick Facts

Population 258,122

Median Household Income $88,468

Median Home Value $275,600

Poverty Rate 8.5%

Unemployment Rate 3.8%

Median Age 37.9 years

Homeownership Rate 69.5%

Affordability Ratio 3.1x

Bachelor's Degree+ 36.5%

High School Graduation 94.3%

Cities/Places 23

Population 258,122 6th of 115

Median Income $88,468 25% higher than state

Poverty Rate 8.5%

Unemployment 3.8%

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	255,566	258,122	+1.0%
Median household income	$86,150	$88,468	+2.7%
Median home value	$256,400	$275,600	+7.5%

Median Household Income

Clay

$88,468

$70,702

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Clay

$275,600

$230,300

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 10.3%

$25K-$50K 16.3%

$50K-$100K 30.6%

$100K+ 42.9%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

3.6%

$10K-$15K

2.1%

$15K-$20K

2.0%

$20K-$25K

2.5%

$25K-$30K

2.8%

$30K-$35K

3.5%

$35K-$40K

2.9%

$40K-$45K

3.7%

$45K-$50K

3.4%

$50K-$60K

6.6%

$60K-$75K

9.3%

$75K-$100K

14.7%

$100K-$125K

11.6%

$125K-$150K

8.7%

$150K-$200K

12.5%

$200K+

10.2%

Employment

3.8% Unemployment Rate State: 4.0%|National: 5.2%

69.0% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 69.5%

Renter 30.5%

Affordability Index Affordable

3.1x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,243/mo 16.9% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

23.5%

18-34

22.1%

35-54

27.1%

55-74

21.1%

75+

6.2%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Low Diversity

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

State average: 40 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Clay County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Liberty	30,689	$88,542	7.0%	$283,300
Gladstone	27,207	$79,271	11.0%	$231,500
Kearney	10,885	$103,622	3.6%	$298,400
Smithville	10,705	$101,165	5.4%	$290,600
Excelsior Springs	10,484	$72,609	15.2%	$186,800
North Kansas City	4,983	$49,682	9.1%	$197,500
Lawson	2,905	$65,941	12.7%	$186,000
Pleasant Valley	2,736	$75,682	4.5%	$202,000
Claycomo	1,820	$49,343	19.8%	$169,600
Glenaire	587	$92,813	4.4%	$225,400
Holt	440	$73,125	9.8%	$196,300
Oakview	377	$69,141	6.6%	$177,200
Avondale	308	$53,125	9.4%	$164,100
Excelsior Estates	239	$79,844	10.9%	$53,500
Missouri City	215	$37,083	7.9%	$92,900
Oakwood Park	204	$101,250	6.4%	$206,800
Birmingham	189	$62,000	18.0%	$134,900
Oaks	156	N/A	1.3%	$338,900
Oakwood	142	$125,000	4.2%	$419,000
Prathersville	100	$72,917	10.0%	$240,000
Paradise	72	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Mosby	52	$48,750	17.3%	N/A
Randolph	31	$50,000	3.2%	$112,500

Explore Missouri 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 Missouri with a total population of 258,122. It is the 6th most populous county out of 115 in Missouri. The county encompasses 23 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Clay County is 37.9 years. This is 3% lower than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Clay County is $88,468. This is 25% higher than the state median of $70,702. It is also 10% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.5%. This is 33% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate is 3.8%. This is 6% lower than the state rate of 4.0%. The median home value is $275,600. Housing costs are 20% higher than the state median of $230,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.1x. 69.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% higher than the state average of 68.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Clay County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 77.0% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 8.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (8.0% vs 5.2%).

Education

36.5% 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 13% higher than the state rate of 32.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 94.3%.

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 Missouri 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, Missouri?

Clay County has a population of 258,122, making it the 6th most populous county in Missouri.

What is the median income in Clay County?

The median household income in Clay County is $88,468 with a poverty rate of 8.5%.

How many cities are in Clay County, Missouri?

Clay County contains 23 Census-designated places.