Clay County, WV

County

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2023 Population

7,946

1.28% 1-year decline

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

45.3

0.667% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

24.9%

1.41% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$42,790

3.03% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$107,100

6.25% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

2,333

9.29% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Clay County, WV had a population of 7.95k people with a median age of 45.3 and a median household income of $42,790. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Clay County, WV declined from 8,049 to 7,946, a −1.28% decrease and its median household income grew from $41,530 to $42,790, a 3.03% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Clay County, WV are White (Non-Hispanic) (97%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.69%), Two+ (Hispanic) (0.138%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (0.0629%), and White (Hispanic) (0.0503%).

None of the households in Clay County, WV 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.

100% of the residents in Clay County, WV are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Clay County, WV was $107,100, and the homeownership rate was 79%.

Most people in Clay County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 38.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Clay County, WV was 2 cars per household.

Clay County, WV borders Braxton County, WV, Calhoun County, WV, Kanawha County, WV, Nicholas County, WV, and Roane County, WV.

United States West Virginia Charleston, WV

Population & Diversity

Clay County, WV is home to a population of 7.95k people, from which 100% are citizens. As of 2023, 0.0126% of Clay County, WV residents were born outside of the country (1 people).

In 2023, there were 36 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.71k people) in Clay County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 214 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 11 Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%

2023 Citizenship

100%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 100% of Clay County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Clay County, WV was 100%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been maintaining.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Clay County, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.71k ± 18
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
214 ± 36.7
Two+ (Hispanic)
11 ± 30

0.189%

Hispanic Population

15 people

0.189% of the people in Clay County, WV are hispanic (15 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Clay County, WV 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 West Virginia.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,064 ± 1,115 people
Germany
1,923 ± 1,076 people
China
1,815 ± 1,045 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was Mexico, the natal country of 2,064 West Virginia residents, followed by Germany with 1,923 and China with 1,815.

Foreign-Born Population

0.0126%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1 people

0.0373%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

3 people

As of 2023, 0.0126% of Clay County, WV residents (1 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, WV was 0.0373%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
173 ± 84
Gulf War (2001-)
143 ± 100
Gulf War (1990s)
86 ± 64

Clay County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.21 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Clay County, WV employs 2.33k people. The largest industries in Clay County, WV are Health Care & Social Assistance (409 people), Educational Services (387 people), and Public Administration (304 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($85,809), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($80,474), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($73,854).

Males in West Virginia have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $50,743. The income inequality in West Virginia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.449, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

2.33k

2023 Value

± 344

−9.29%

1 Year decline

± 23%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Clay County, WV declined at a rate of −9.29%, from 2.57k employees to 2.33k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Clay County, WV, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (390 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (274 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (234 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Clay County, WV.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in West Virginia (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

2.33k

2023 Value

± 344

−9.29%

1 Year decline

± 23%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Clay County, WV declined at a rate of −9.29%, from 2.57k employees to 2.33k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Clay County, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (409 people), Educational Services (387 people), and Public Administration (304 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Clay County, WV, though some of these residents may live in Clay County, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,469

Median earning men ± $19,416

$24,180

Median earning women ± $8,756

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($80,776), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($71,000), and Manufacturing ($66,250).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Manufacturing ($43,393), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($40,179), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($38,929).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

0.583%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 690k people employed in West Virginia. This represents a 0.583% 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 15%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

10
Construction
6
Retail Trade
6
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

$8.47k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$4.33k
Construction
$2.93k
Retail Trade

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 West Virginia.

Measure

In 2022, 0.661% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.559% 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 West Virginia.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (549k), Some college (279k), and Secondary Education (210k).

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, WV was $107,100 in 2023, which is 0.353 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $100,800 to $107,100, a 6.25% increase. The homeownership rate in Clay County, WV is 79%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Clay County, WV have an average commute time of 38.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Clay County, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Clay County, WV is $42,790. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Clay County, WV was Census Tract 9579 with a value of $47,446, followed by Census Tract 9580 and Census Tract 9581, with respective values of $40,707 and $40,585.

In 2023, 8.85% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, WV. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.445%.

Housing

Property

$107,100

Median Property Value 2023

±$9,756

$2,337

Median Property Taxes

±$307

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

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

Rent vs Own

79%

Homeownership

2023

71.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 79% of the housing units in Clay County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 81.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Clay County, WV 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 9579
Census Tract 9580
Census Tract 9581

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Clay County, WV was Census Tract 9579 with a value of $47,446, followed by Census Tract 9580 and Census Tract 9581, with respective values of $40,707 and $40,585.

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

$42,790

Median Household Income

± $8,532

2.96k

Number of Households

± 380

In 2023, the median household income of the 2.96k households in Clay County, WV grew to $42,790 from the previous year's value of $41,530.

The following chart displays the households in Clay County, WV 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, WV is from West Virginia.

0.449

2022 Wage GINI in West Virginia

0.447

2021 Wage GINI in West Virginia

In 2022, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.449 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.523% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for West Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in West Virginia in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (75.5%)
Carpooled (15.2%)
Worked At Home (7.62%)

In 2023, 75.5% of workers in Clay County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (15.2%) and those who worked at home (7.62%).

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

38.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Clay County, WV have a longer commute time (38.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 8.91% of the workforce in Clay County, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 8.85% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, WV. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.445%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

24.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Clay County, WV (1.95k out of 7.84k 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 Males 25 - 34, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Clay County, WV is White, followed by Two Or More 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 2023, 31% of the children was living in poverty in Clay County, WV. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.3%.

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.

Health

94.6% of the population of Clay County, WV has health coverage, with 22.6% on employee plans, 39.8% on Medicaid, 17% on Medicare, 13% on non-group plans, and 2.21% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Clay County, WV see 8341 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.96% decrease from the previous year (8508 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2631 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 986 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.1% were men and 48.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

8,341 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Clay County, WV

Primary care physicians in Clay County, WV see an average of 8,341 patients per year. This represents a 1.96% decrease from the previous year (8,508 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.7% under 18 years, 14.2% between 18 and 34 years, 40.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.1% were men and 48.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.36%

Uninsured

22.6%

Employer Coverage

39.8%

Medicaid

17%

Medicare

13%

Non-Group

2.21%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Clay County, WV grew by 7.91% from 4.97% to 5.36%.

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