Clay County, NC

County

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2023 Population

11,391

1.83% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

54.5

0.739% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

13.5%

0.0748% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$53,645

5.99% 1-year decline

2023 Median Property Value

$263,300

4.53% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

4,147

5.45% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Clay County, NC had a population of 11.4k people with a median age of 54.5 and a median household income of $53,645. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Clay County, NC grew from 11,186 to 11,391, a 1.83% increase and its median household income declined from $57,065 to $53,645, a −5.99% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Clay County, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (90.8%), White (Hispanic) (2.29%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (1.77%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.2%), and American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (0.904%).

None of the households in Clay County, NC 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.

98.9% of the residents in Clay County, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Clay County, NC was $263,300, and the homeownership rate was 79.8%.

Most people in Clay County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Clay County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Clay County, NC borders Rabun County, GA, Towns County, GA, Union County, GA, Cherokee County, NC, and Macon County, NC.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Clay County, NC is home to a population of 11.4k people, from which 98.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.8% of Clay County, NC residents were born outside of the country (433 people).

In 2023, there were 39.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (10.3k people) in Clay County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 261 White (Hispanic) and 202 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.9%

2023 Citizenship

99.3%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.9% of Clay County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Clay County, NC was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Clay County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
10.3k ± 117
White (Hispanic)
261 ± 117
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
202 ± 84

3.94%

Hispanic Population

449 people

3.94% of the people in Clay County, NC are hispanic (449 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Clay County, NC 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 North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
214,508 ± 11,254 people
India
79,868 ± 6,912 people
Honduras
39,759 ± 4,886 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 214,508 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 79,868 and Honduras with 39,759.

Foreign-Born Population

3.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

433 people

4.02%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

450 people

As of 2023, 3.8% of Clay County, NC residents (433 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Clay County, NC was 4.02%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
402 ± 149
Gulf War (2001-)
163 ± 93
Gulf War (1990s)
60 ± 44

Clay County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.47 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Clay County, NC employs 4.15k people. The largest industries in Clay County, NC are Retail Trade (680 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (508 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (432 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance ($175,278), Public Administration ($73,773), and Utilities ($66,616).

Males in North Carolina have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,464. The income inequality in North Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.47, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

4.15k

2023 Value

± 560

−5.45%

1 Year decline

± 20.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Clay County, NC declined at a rate of −5.45%, from 4.39k employees to 4.15k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Clay County, NC, are Sales & Related Occupations (680 people), Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations (414 people), and Management Occupations (361 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Clay County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (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

4.15k

2023 Value

± 560

−5.45%

1 Year decline

± 20.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Clay County, NC declined at a rate of −5.45%, from 4.39k employees to 4.15k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Clay County, NC, are Retail Trade (680 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (508 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (432 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Clay County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Clay County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,186

Median earning men ± $5,272

$37,176

Median earning women ± $12,741

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($73,614), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($66,185), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,115).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($74,583), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,703), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($60,089).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% 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 10.9%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

34
Construction
22
Other Services (except Public Administration)
20
Retail Trade

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.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$13.3k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$12.4k
Retail Trade
$10.4k
Construction

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

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 North Carolina.

Measure

In 2022, 0.944% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.805% 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 North Carolina.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.16M), Some college (1.84M), and Bachelors Degree (1.63M).

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, NC was $263,300 in 2023, which is 0.868 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $251,900 to $263,300, a 4.53% increase. The homeownership rate in Clay County, NC is 79.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Clay County, NC have an average commute time of 23.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Clay County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2023, 14.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, NC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.69%.

Housing

Property

$263,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$34,878

$4,024

Median Property Taxes

±$493

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, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

79.8%

Homeownership

2023

63.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 79.8% of the housing units in Clay County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 79.7%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

The following map shows all of the tracts in Clay County, NC 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.

$53,645

Median Household Income

± $9,995

5.04k

Number of Households

± 587

In 2023, the median household income of the 5.04k households in Clay County, NC declined from $53,645 from the previous year's value of $57,065.

The following chart displays the households in Clay County, NC 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, NC is from North Carolina.

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2021 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0732% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (79.3%)
Carpooled (9.52%)
Worked At Home (7.48%)

In 2023, 79.3% of workers in Clay County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.52%) and those who worked at home (7.48%).

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

23.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Clay County, NC have a shorter commute time (23.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.52% of the workforce in Clay County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 14.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, NC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.69%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

13.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Clay County, NC (1.52k out of 11.3k 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 75+, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Clay County, NC is White, followed by Hispanic 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, 25.2% of the children was living in poverty in Clay County, NC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 7.9%.

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

84.7% of the population of Clay County, NC has health coverage, with 33.4% on employee plans, 11.2% on Medicaid, 25.1% on Medicare, 13.9% on non-group plans, and 1.08% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Clay County, NC see 1918 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.46% increase from the previous year (1872 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1414 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 707 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.7% were men and 52.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,918 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Clay County, NC

Primary care physicians in Clay County, NC see an average of 1,918 patients per year. This represents a 2.46% increase from the previous year (1,872 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 17.1% under 18 years, 11.9% between 18 and 34 years, 39.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 31.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.7% were men and 52.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

15.3%

Uninsured

33.4%

Employer Coverage

11.2%

Medicaid

25.1%

Medicare

13.9%

Non-Group

1.08%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Clay County, NC grew by 0.129% from 15.3% to 15.3%.

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