Clay County, West Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Clay County is located in West Virginia with a total population of 7,946. It is the 47th most populous county out of 55 in West Virginia. The county encompasses 1 Census-designated place.

Age Demographics

The median age in Clay County is 45.3 years. This is 6% higher than the state median of 42.7 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Clay County is $42,790. This is 26% lower than the state median of $57,917. It is also 46% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 24.9%. This is 50% higher than the state poverty rate of 16.6%. 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 11.8%. This is 105% higher than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $107,100. Housing costs are 31% lower than the state median of $155,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Clay County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 79.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% higher than the state average of 74.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Clay County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 97.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 0.2%. The Black or African American population (0.0%) is well below the state average of 3.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 2.0%.

Education

11.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 49% lower than the state rate of 23.3%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 84.1%.

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 West Virginia 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.