Clay County, SD

County

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2024 Population

15,219

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

24.9

1.63% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

19.7%

0.487% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$56,850

3.31% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$232,300

4.73% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

8,006

2.89% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Clay County, SD 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.

97.4% of the residents in Clay County, SD are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Clay County, SD are University of South Dakota (2,178 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Clay County, SD was $232,300, and the homeownership rate was 50.8%.

Most people in Clay County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Clay County, SD was 2 cars per household.

Clay County, SD borders Cedar County, NE, Dixon County, NE, Lincoln County, SD, Turner County, SD, Union County, SD, and Yankton County, SD.

United States South Dakota Vermillion, SD

Population & Diversity

Clay County, SD is home to a population of 15.2k people, from which 97.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.59% of Clay County, SD residents were born outside of the country (546 people).

In 2024, there were 28.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (12.8k people) in Clay County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 452 Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 417 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.4%

2024 Citizenship

96.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.4% of Clay County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Clay County, SD was 96.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Clay County, SD

White (Non-Hispanic)
12.8k ± 262
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
452 ± 17
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
417 ± 136

3.31%

Hispanic Population

504 people

3.31% of the people in Clay County, SD are hispanic (504 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Clay County, SD 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 South Dakota.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,626 ± 1,475 people
Guatemala
2,932 ± 1,327 people
Ethiopia
2,627 ± 1,257 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Dakota was Mexico, the natal country of 3,626 South Dakota residents, followed by Guatemala with 2,932 and Ethiopia with 2,627.

Foreign-Born Population

3.59%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

546 people

4.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

726 people

As of 2024, 3.59% of Clay County, SD residents (546 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, SD was 4.8%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
189 ± 102
Vietnam
140 ± 73
Korea
75 ± 51

Clay County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.35 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Clay County, SD employs 8.01k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Clay County, SD were Educational Services (1,901 people), Retail Trade (1,047 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (999 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($93,169), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($79,792), and Transportation & Warehousing ($79,375).

Employment

Occupations

8.01k

2024 Value

± 660

2.89%

1 Year growth

± 11%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Clay County, SD grew at a rate of 2.89%, from 7.78k employees to 8.01k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Clay County, SD, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (922 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (905 people), and Management Occupations (793 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Clay County, SD.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Dakota (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

8.01k

2024 Value

± 660

2.89%

1 Year growth

± 11%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Clay County, SD grew at a rate of 2.89%, from 7.78k employees to 8.01k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Clay County, SD, are Educational Services (1,901 people), Retail Trade (1,047 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (999 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Clay County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Clay County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,739

Median earning men ± $5,378

$24,632

Median earning women ± $6,734

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($93,547), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($81,250), and Public Administration ($68,333).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($54,688), Public Administration ($44,813), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($41,923).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.37%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 450k people employed in South Dakota. This represents a 2.37% 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 8.96%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

31
Other Services (except Public Administration)
19
Construction
17
Accommodation and Food Services

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

$52.8k
Transportation and Warehousing
$23.5k
Retail Trade
$22.7k
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Clay County, SD awarded 2,178 degrees. The student population of Clay County, SD in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 3,682 male students and 6,186 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Clay County, SD are White (1,799 and 86.9%), Hispanic or Latino (71 and 3.43%), Two or More Races (70 and 3.38%), and Black or African American (44 and 2.12%).

The largest universities in Clay County, SD by number of degrees awarded are University of South Dakota (2,178 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Clay County, SD are Registered Nursing (162 and 7.44%), General Business Administration & Management (161 and 7.39%), and General Psychology (103 and 4.73%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $7,773 for in-state students and $11,283 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Clay County, SD, the percentage of applicants admitted was 99%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 25.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 9,868 (37.3% men and 62.7% 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 9,868 students enrolled in Clay County, SD, 37.3% men and 62.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 7,717 records, of which 64.5% were women and 35.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
162 degrees awarded
General Psychology
82 degrees awarded
General Health Services
77 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Clay County, SD was Registered Nursing with 162 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

University of South Dakota

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

2,178 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of South Dakota with 2,178 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 824 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Clay County, SD, which is 0.609 times less than the 1,354 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 1,799 degrees mean that there were 25.3 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 71 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

Public, 4-year or above ($7,773) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,659) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,200) 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, SD was $232,300 in 2024, which is 0.698 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $221,800 to $232,300, a 4.73% increase. The homeownership rate in Clay County, SD is 50.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Clay County, SD have an average commute time of 19.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Clay County, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 20.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.28%.

Housing

Property

$232,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$23,314

$2,819

Median Property Taxes

±$341

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

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

Rent vs Own

50.8%

Homeownership

2024

64.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 50.8% of the housing units in Clay County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 51.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Clay County, SD 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.

$56,850

Median Household Income

± $5,165

5.55k

Number of Households

± 551

In 2024, the median household income of the 5.55k households in Clay County, SD declined from $56,850 from the previous year's value of $58,794.

The following chart displays the households in Clay County, SD 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, SD is from South Dakota.

0.443

2023 Wage GINI in South Dakota

0.438

2022 Wage GINI in South Dakota

In 2023, the income inequality in South Dakota was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.14% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for South Dakota was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Dakota in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (75.4%)
Walked (8.86%)
Worked At Home (6.62%)

In 2024, 75.4% of workers in Clay County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (8.86%) and those who worked at home (6.62%).

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

19.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Clay County, SD have a shorter commute time (19.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.43% of the workforce in Clay County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 20.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.28%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

19.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Clay County, SD (2.51k out of 12.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Clay County, SD is White, followed by Native American 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 2025, 14.6% of the children was living in poverty in Clay County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.3%.

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 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 243 in Clay County, SD. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 207 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

90.9% of the population of Clay County, SD has health coverage, with 51.9% on employee plans, 9.87% on Medicaid, 9.29% on Medicare, 18% on non-group plans, and 1.84% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Clay County, SD see 2,164 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,164 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1698 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 857 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,164 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Clay County, SD

Primary care physicians in Clay County, SD see an average of 2,164 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,164 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.6% under 18 years, 41.3% between 18 and 34 years, 25.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 11% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

9.11%

Uninsured

51.9%

Employer Coverage

9.87%

Medicaid

9.29%

Medicare

18%

Non-Group

1.84%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Clay County, SD declined by 2.11% from 9.31% to 9.11%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2016, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 110 in Clay County, SD.

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

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 39.9% in Clay County, SD.

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