Clay County, KY

County

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2023 Population

20,105

1.07% 1-year decline

US Senator

N/AMitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

N/ARand Paul

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

40.6

0.495% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

31.8%

1.75% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$39,607

4.54% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$87,300

18.8% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

6,364

2.61% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Clay County, KY had a population of 20.1k people with a median age of 40.6 and a median household income of $39,607. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Clay County, KY declined from 20,322 to 20,105, a −1.07% decrease and its median household income grew from $37,888 to $39,607, a 4.54% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Clay County, KY are White (Non-Hispanic) (91.4%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (4.57%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.72%), White (Hispanic) (0.801%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (0.174%).

None of the households in Clay County, KY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.3% of the residents in Clay County, KY are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Clay County, KY was $87,300, and the homeownership rate was 77.6%.

Most people in Clay County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Clay County, KY was 2 cars per household.

Clay County, KY borders Bell County, KY, Jackson County, KY, Knox County, KY, Laurel County, KY, Leslie County, KY, Owsley County, KY, and Perry County, KY.

United States Kentucky

Population & Diversity

Clay County, KY is home to a population of 20.1k people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of N/A, N/A% of Clay County, KY residents were born outside of the country (N/A people).

In 2023, there were 20 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (18.4k people) in Clay County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 919 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 547 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.3%

2023 Citizenship

99.3%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.3% of Clay County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Clay County, KY was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Clay County, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Clay County, KY

White (Non-Hispanic)
18.4k ± 357
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
919 ± 115
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
547 ± 368

1.21%

Hispanic Population

244 people

1.21% of the people in Clay County, KY are hispanic (244 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Clay County, KY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Kentucky.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
28,651 ± 4,142 people
Cuba
14,970 ± 2,999 people
India
12,312 ± 2,720 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kentucky was Mexico, the natal country of 28,651 Kentucky residents, followed by Cuba with 14,970 and India with 12,312.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
249 ± 115
Gulf War (2001-)
181 ± 86
Gulf War (1990s)
88 ± 48

Clay County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.38 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Clay County, KY employs 6.36k people. The largest industries in Clay County, KY are Retail Trade (1,118 people), Educational Services (901 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (663 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($67,059), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($66,250), and Finance & Insurance ($63,268).

Employment

Occupations

6.36k

2023 Value

± 684

2.61%

1 Year growth

± 14.6%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Clay County, KY grew at a rate of 2.61%, from 6.2k employees to 6.36k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Clay County, KY, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (715 people), Management Occupations (616 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (609 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Clay County, KY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kentucky (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

6.36k

2023 Value

± 684

2.61%

1 Year growth

± 14.6%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Clay County, KY grew at a rate of 2.61%, from 6.2k employees to 6.36k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Clay County, KY, are Retail Trade (1,118 people), Educational Services (901 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (663 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Clay County, KY, though some of these residents may live in Clay County, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$33,699

Median earning men ± $5,765

$33,517

Median earning women ± $5,857

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($88,125), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($72,930), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($66,250).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,797), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($45,328), and Construction ($39,808).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Y-Axis

2.51%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.98M people employed in Kentucky. This represents a 2.51% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Kentucky.

Establishments by Size

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Civics

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing the state of Kentucky. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Kentucky

N/AMitch McConnell

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 1985

N/ARand Paul

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing Kentucky.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Kentucky over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Kentucky

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Kentucky have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Measure

In 2022, 0.821% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.756% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.17M), Some college (766k), and Secondary Education (551k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Clay County, KY was $87,300 in 2023, which is 0.288 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $73,500 to $87,300, a 18.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Clay County, KY is 77.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Clay County, KY have an average commute time of 27.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Clay County, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Clay County, KY is $39,607. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Clay County, KY was Census Tract 9506 with a value of $45,368, followed by Census Tract 9501 and Census Tract 9505, with respective values of $41,343 and $36,372.

In 2023, 14.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, KY. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.43%.

Housing

Property

$87,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$14,365

$5,567

Median Property Taxes

±$526

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Clay County, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Clay County, KY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

77.6%

Homeownership

2023

63.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 77.6% of the housing units in Clay County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Clay County, KY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9506
Census Tract 9501
Census Tract 9505

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Clay County, KY was Census Tract 9506 with a value of $45,368, followed by Census Tract 9501 and Census Tract 9505, with respective values of $41,343 and $36,372.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Clay County, KY colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$39,607

Median Household Income

± $4,983

7.18k

Number of Households

± 653

In 2023, the median household income of the 7.18k households in Clay County, KY grew to $39,607 from the previous year's value of $37,888.

The following chart displays the households in Clay County, KY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Clay County, KY is from Kentucky.

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Kentucky

0.453

2021 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2022, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.452 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.286% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kentucky in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Kentucky across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (76.5%)
Carpooled (13.5%)
Worked At Home (7.44%)

In 2023, 76.5% of workers in Clay County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.5%) and those who worked at home (7.44%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

27.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Clay County, KY have a longer commute time (27.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 5.07% of the workforce in Clay County, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Clay County, KY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Clay County, KY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Clay County, KY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 14.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, KY. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.43%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

31.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Clay County, KY (5.89k out of 18.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Clay County, KY is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 45.3% of the children was living in poverty in Clay County, KY. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 6.9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

95.4% of the population of Clay County, KY has health coverage, with 28.6% on employee plans, 45.1% on Medicaid, 12.6% on Medicare, 7.3% on non-group plans, and 1.8% on military or VA plans.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23% under 18 years, 20.2% between 18 and 34 years, 40.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.62%

Uninsured

28.6%

Employer Coverage

45.1%

Medicaid

12.6%

Medicare

7.3%

Non-Group

1.8%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Clay County, KY declined by 13.8% from 5.35% to 4.62%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Clay County, KY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 65.1 in Clay County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Clay County, KY.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 43.9% in Clay County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Clay County, KY.