Clay Center, Nebraska Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 802, Clay Center's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Clay Center is a small community located in Nebraska, within Clay County. The total population is 802. It ranks as the 148th most populous out of 583 Census-designated places in Nebraska.

Age Demographics

The median age in Clay Center is 38.1 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 37.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Clay Center is $82,500. This is 8% higher than the state median of $76,475. It is also 2% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 4.1%. This is 61% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.6%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The unemployment rate is 1.2%. This is 61% lower than the state rate of 3.0%. The median home value is $141,300. Housing costs are 41% lower than the state median of $238,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.7x, Clay Center is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 85.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 29% higher than the state average of 66.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

Clay Center has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 85.5% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 8.0%. The Black or African American population (1.0%) is well below the state average of 4.6%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 2.6%.

Education

18.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 46% lower than the state rate of 34.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 94.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Clay Center, Nebraska is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Nebraska state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 583 Census-designated places in Nebraska. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.