Clay County, TN

County

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2024 Population

7,670

US Senator

Marsha Blackburn

Republican Party

US Senator

Bill Hagerty

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

48.5

0.615% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

24.2%

11.3% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$39,972

10.6% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$136,400

0.365% 1-year decline

2024 Employed Population

2,632

4.22% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Clay County, TN 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.

99.8% of the residents in Clay County, TN are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Clay County, TN was $136,400, and the homeownership rate was 74.4%.

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

Clay County, TN borders Clinton County, KY, Cumberland County, KY, Monroe County, KY, Jackson County, TN, Macon County, TN, Overton County, TN, and Pickett County, TN.

About the photo: Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery from the air.

Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region

United States Tennessee

Population & Diversity

Clay County, TN is home to a population of 7.67k people, from which 99.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.03% of Clay County, TN residents were born outside of the country (79 people).

In 2024, there were 28.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.2k people) in Clay County, TN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 256 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 136 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.8%

2024 Citizenship

98.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.8% of Clay County, TN residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Clay County, TN was 98.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Clay County, TN

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.2k ± 7
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
256 ± 98
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
136 ± 90

0.235%

Hispanic Population

18 people

0.235% of the people in Clay County, TN are hispanic (18 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Clay County, TN 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 Tennessee.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
95,077 ± 7,519 people
Guatemala
31,959 ± 4,379 people
Honduras
26,792 ± 4,011 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Tennessee was Mexico, the natal country of 95,077 Tennessee residents, followed by Guatemala with 31,959 and Honduras with 26,792.

Foreign-Born Population

1.03%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

79 people

3.28%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

250 people

As of 2024, 1.03% of Clay County, TN residents (79 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, TN was 3.28%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
206 ± 82
Gulf War (2001-)
59 ± 52
Gulf War (1990s)
27 ± 37

Clay County, TN has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.49 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Clay County, TN employs 2.63k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Clay County, TN were Construction (406 people), Manufacturing (399 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (344 people), and the highest paying industries were Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($57,313), Transportation & Warehousing ($57,313), and Wholesale Trade ($55,104).

Employment

Occupations

2.63k

2024 Value

± 385

−4.22%

1 Year decline

± 21.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Clay County, TN declined at a rate of −4.22%, from 2.75k employees to 2.63k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Clay County, TN, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (449 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (287 people), and Management Occupations (248 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Clay County, TN.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Tennessee (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

2.63k

2024 Value

± 385

−4.22%

1 Year decline

± 21.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Clay County, TN declined at a rate of −4.22%, from 2.75k employees to 2.63k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Clay County, TN, are Construction (406 people), Manufacturing (399 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (344 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Clay County, TN, though some of these residents may live in Clay County, TN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$39,133

Median earning men ± $6,802

$37,279

Median earning women ± $6,379

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($55,319), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($53,333), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($39,821).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Other Services Except Public Administration ($48,052), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($46,111), and Public Administration ($40,000).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

3.15%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.29M people employed in Tennessee. This represents a 3.15% 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 10.8%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

11
Retail Trade
7
Retail Trade
5
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$11.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$7.34k
Manufacturing
$3.6k
Retail Trade

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing the state of Tennessee. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Tennessee is currently represented by 9 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, TN. Showing the available data for Tennessee.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (34.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.703%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

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

Senator Elections

US Senators from Tennessee

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

Marsha Blackburn

Senator from Tennessee

Assumed office on January 3, 2019

Bill Hagerty

Senator from Tennessee

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing Tennessee.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Clay County, TN was $136,400 in 2024, which is 0.41 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $136,900 to $136,400, a 0.365% decrease. The homeownership rate in Clay County, TN is 74.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

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

In 2025, 10.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.65%.

Housing

Property

$136,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$31,244

$2,593

Median Property Taxes

±$351

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

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

Rent vs Own

74.4%

Homeownership

2024

65.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 74.4% of the housing units in Clay County, TN were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 77.6%.

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

$39,972

Median Household Income

± $9,119

3.49k

Number of Households

± 411

In 2024, the median household income of the 3.49k households in Clay County, TN declined from $39,972 from the previous year's value of $44,712.

The following chart displays the households in Clay County, TN 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, TN is from Tennessee.

0.457

2024 Wage GINI in Tennessee

0.459

2023 Wage GINI in Tennessee

In 2024, the income inequality in Tennessee was 0.457 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.505% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Tennessee was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Tennessee in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (85%)
Carpooled (7.36%)
Worked At Home (6.31%)

In 2024, 85% of workers in Clay County, TN drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.36%) and those who worked at home (6.31%).

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, TN have a longer commute time (27.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.41% of the workforce in Clay County, TN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.65%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

24.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Clay County, TN (1.84k out of 7.6k 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 Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

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

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, 29.8% of the children was living in poverty in Clay County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7%.

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 283 in Clay County, TN. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 79.8 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

91.8% of the population of Clay County, TN has health coverage, with 32.6% on employee plans, 29.6% on Medicaid, 16.8% on Medicare, 11.4% on non-group plans, and 1.38% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Clay County, TN see 2,518 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,518 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 7620 patients per year, and mental health providers who see null patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,518 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Clay County, TN

Primary care physicians in Clay County, TN see an average of 2,518 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,518 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.2% under 18 years, 12.3% between 18 and 34 years, 42.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 25.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.18%

Uninsured

32.6%

Employer Coverage

29.6%

Medicaid

16.8%

Medicare

11.4%

Non-Group

1.38%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Clay County, TN declined by 11.4% from 9.23% to 8.18%.

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