Clay County, North Carolina Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Clay County is located in North Carolina with a total population of 11,391. It is the 92nd most populous county out of 100 in North Carolina. The county encompasses 1 Census-designated place.

Age Demographics

The median age in Clay County is 54.5 years. This is 39% higher than the state median of 39.1 years. 13.0% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Clay County is $53,645. This is 23% lower than the state median of $69,904. It is also 32% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 13.5%. This is 2% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 4.3%. This is 12% lower than the state rate of 4.8%. The median home value is $263,300. Housing costs are 2% higher than the state median of $259,400. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.9x. 79.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 20% higher than the state average of 66.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

Clay County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.8% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.9%. The Black or African American population (1.8%) is well below the state average of 20.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population (3.9%) is well below the state average of 10.9%. The Asian population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 3.1%.

Education

31.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 10% lower than the state rate of 34.7%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.9%.

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 North Carolina 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.