Clay County, MO

County

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2024 Population

258,122

US Senator

Josh Hawley

Republican Party

US Senator

Eric Schmitt

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

37.9

0.798% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.47%

0.267% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$88,468

2.69% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$275,600

7.49% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

135,672

0.806% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Clay County, MO 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.

97.9% of the residents in Clay County, MO are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Clay County, MO are Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (700 degrees awarded in 2023) and William Jewell College (236 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Clay County, MO was $275,600, and the homeownership rate was 69.5%.

Most people in Clay County, MO drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Clay County, MO was 2 cars per household.

Clay County, MO borders Wyandotte County, KS, Clinton County, MO, Jackson County, MO, Platte County, MO, and Ray County, MO.

About the photo: North of 435 in Clay county, just west of N Prospect and NE 132nd Street.

Photo by Gwen's River City Images

United States Missouri Kansas City, MO-KS

Population & Diversity

Clay County, MO is home to a population of 258k people, from which 97.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.49% of Clay County, MO residents were born outside of the country (14.2k people).

In 2024, there were 11.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (199k people) in Clay County, MO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 17.6k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 9.46k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.9%

2024 Citizenship

98%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.9% of Clay County, MO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Clay County, MO was 98%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Clay County, MO

White (Non-Hispanic)
199k ± 574
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
17.6k ± 850
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
9.46k ± 1.01k

7.99%

Hispanic Population

20.6k people

7.99% of the people in Clay County, MO are hispanic (20.6k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Clay County, MO 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 Missouri.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
41,951 ± 5,011 people
India
23,410 ± 3,749 people
China
17,257 ± 3,221 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Missouri was Mexico, the natal country of 41,951 Missouri residents, followed by India with 23,410 and China with 17,257.

Foreign-Born Population

5.49%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

14.2k people

5.49%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

14k people

As of 2024, 5.49% of Clay County, MO residents (14.2k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Clay County, MO was 5.49%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Clay County, MO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
4,520 ± 477
Gulf War (2001-)
3,908 ± 506
Gulf War (1990s)
2,139 ± 419

Clay County, MO has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.16 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Clay County, MO.

Economy

The economy of Clay County, MO employs 136k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Clay County, MO were Health Care & Social Assistance (17,859 people), Retail Trade (15,436 people), and Manufacturing (14,952 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($88,583), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($80,421), and Finance & Insurance ($72,962).

Employment

Occupations

136k

2024 Value

± 3,071

0.806%

1 Year growth

± 3.16%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Clay County, MO grew at a rate of 0.806%, from 135k employees to 136k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Clay County, MO, are Management Occupations (16,585 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (15,226 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (12,269 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Clay County, MO.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Missouri (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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

136k

2024 Value

± 3,071

0.806%

1 Year growth

± 3.16%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Clay County, MO grew at a rate of 0.806%, from 135k employees to 136k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Clay County, MO, are Health Care & Social Assistance (17,859 people), Retail Trade (15,436 people), and Manufacturing (14,952 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Clay County, MO, though some of these residents may live in Clay County, MO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$60,488

Median earning men ± $1,217

$46,362

Median earning women ± $1,471

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($79,755), Public Administration ($78,258), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($76,159).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,798), Construction ($60,694), and Manufacturing ($56,372).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.17%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.94M people employed in Missouri. This represents a 2.17% 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 11.8%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

385
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
350
Health Care and Social Assistance
330
Other Services (except Public Administration)

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

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.84M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$1.05M
Manufacturing
$866k
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Missouri went to Donald J. Trump with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.1%), followed by Chase Oliver (0.797%).

Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt are the senators currently representing the state of Missouri. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Missouri is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Clay County, MO. Showing the available data for Missouri.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (58.5%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (40.1%)
Democratic Party
Chase Oliver (0.797%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Missouri went to Donald J. Trump with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.1%), followed by Chase Oliver (0.797%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Missouri for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Missouri

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.

Josh Hawley

Senator from Missouri

Assumed office on January 3, 2019

Eric Schmitt

Senator from Missouri

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt are the senators currently representing Missouri.

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 Missouri over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Clay County, MO awarded 936 degrees. The student population of Clay County, MO in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 3,478 male students and 1,248 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Clay County, MO are White (618 and 73%), Unknown (75 and 8.85%), Hispanic or Latino (47 and 5.55%), and Black or African American (38 and 4.49%).

The largest universities in Clay County, MO by number of degrees awarded are Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (700 and 74.8%) and William Jewell College (236 and 25.2%).

The most popular majors in Clay County, MO are Theological Studies (256 and 27.4%), Divinity & Ministry (239 and 25.5%), and Biblical Studies (87 and 9.29%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $14,310.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Clay County, MO, the percentage of applicants admitted was 38%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 36.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 4,726 (73.6% men and 26.4% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 4,726 students enrolled in Clay County, MO, 73.6% men and 26.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,821 records, of which 26.5% were women and 73.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Theological Studies
182 degrees awarded
Divinity & Ministry
174 degrees awarded
Pastoral Studies & Counseling
21 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Clay County, MO was Theological Studies with 182 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Masters Degree from schools in Clay County, MO according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
700 degrees awarded
William Jewell College
236 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with 700 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 677 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Clay County, MO, which is 2.61 times more than the 259 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 618 degrees mean that there were 8.24 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 75 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($14,310) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,145) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,024) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Clay County, MO was $275,600 in 2024, which is 0.828 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $256,400 to $275,600, a 7.49% increase. The homeownership rate in Clay County, MO is 69.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Clay County, MO have an average commute time of 22.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Clay County, MO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 10.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.277%.

Housing

Property

$275,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,758

$70,999

Median Property Taxes

±$1,920

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, MO the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

69.5%

Homeownership

2024

68.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 69.5% of the housing units in Clay County, MO were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.9%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$88,468

Median Household Income

± $2,010

102k

Number of Households

± 2,699

In 2024, the median household income of the 102k households in Clay County, MO grew to $88,468 from the previous year's value of $86,150.

The following chart displays the households in Clay County, MO 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Clay County, MO is from Missouri.

0.451

2023 Wage GINI in Missouri

0.455

2022 Wage GINI in Missouri

In 2023, the income inequality in Missouri was 0.451 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.848% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Missouri was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Missouri in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (74.8%)
Worked At Home (15.9%)
Carpooled (6.95%)

In 2024, 74.8% of workers in Clay County, MO drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (15.9%) and those who carpooled to work (6.95%).

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

22.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Clay County, MO have a shorter commute time (22.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.45% of the workforce in Clay County, MO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Clay County, MO 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, MO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Clay County, MO have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.277%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

8.47% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Clay County, MO (21.6k out of 255k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Clay County, MO is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

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 2025, 8.9% of the children was living in poverty in Clay County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.5%.

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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2014, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 755 in Clay County, MO. From 2014 to 2014, the indicator grew 0 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

92.4% of the population of Clay County, MO has health coverage, with 59.6% on employee plans, 8.3% on Medicaid, 12.1% on Medicare, 11% on non-group plans, and 1.46% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Clay County, MO see 1,681 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,681 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1558 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 573 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,681 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Clay County, MO

Primary care physicians in Clay County, MO see an average of 1,681 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,681 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Clay County, MO in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.8% under 18 years, 20.9% between 18 and 34 years, 39.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.56%

Uninsured

59.6%

Employer Coverage

8.3%

Medicaid

12.1%

Medicare

11%

Non-Group

1.46%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Clay County, MO grew by 3.47% from 7.3% to 7.56%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 44.5 in Clay County, MO.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 35.2% in Clay County, MO.

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