Clay County, WV

County

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2024 Population

7,835

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

45.4

0.221% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

26.4%

6.16% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$42,318

1.1% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$109,100

1.87% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2,422

3.81% 1-year growth

About

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 2024, the median property value in Clay County, WV was $109,100, and the homeownership rate was 76%.

Most people in Clay County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 45.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Clay County, WV was 3 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 7.84k people, from which 100% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.0255% of Clay County, WV residents were born outside of the country (2 people).

In 2024, there were 33.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.58k people) in Clay County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 226 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 14 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%

2024 Citizenship

100%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 100% of Clay County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, 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)
7.58k ± 18
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
226 ± 33
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
14 ± 24

0.23%

Hispanic Population

18 people

0.23% of the people in Clay County, WV are hispanic (18 people).

The following chart shows the 8 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
2,614 ± 1,254 people
Philippines
2,231 ± 1,159 people
India
2,211 ± 1,154 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was Mexico, the natal country of 2,614 West Virginia residents, followed by Philippines with 2,231 and India with 2,211.

Foreign-Born Population

0.0255%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2 people

0.0126%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1 people

As of 2024, 0.0255% of Clay County, WV residents (2 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, WV was 0.0126%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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
109 ± 60
Gulf War (2001-)
72 ± 64
Gulf War (1990s)
68 ± 57

Clay County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.51 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Health

94.2% of the population of Clay County, WV has health coverage, with 21.6% on employee plans, 40.1% on Medicaid, 17.2% on Medicare, 13.7% on non-group plans, and 1.64% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Clay County, WV see 8,341 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.96% decrease from the previous year (8,508 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, 50.5% were men and 49.5% 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 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.2% under 18 years, 15.1% between 18 and 34 years, 39.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.5% were men and 49.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.83%

Uninsured

21.6%

Employer Coverage

40.1%

Medicaid

17.2%

Medicare

13.7%

Non-Group

1.64%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Clay County, WV grew by 8.69% from 5.36% to 5.83%.

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.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 7.09 in Clay County, WV.

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

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 42.5% in Clay County, WV.

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

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 7.24% in Clay County, WV.

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

Economy

The economy of Clay County, WV employs 2.42k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Clay County, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (436 people), Educational Services (362 people), and Construction (306 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($78,750), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($77,596), and Manufacturing ($69,063).

Employment

Occupations

2.42k

2024 Value

± 359

3.81%

1 Year growth

± 20.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Clay County, WV grew at a rate of 3.81%, from 2.33k employees to 2.42k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Clay County, WV, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (402 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (397 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (193 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 West Virginia.

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

2.42k

2024 Value

± 359

3.81%

1 Year growth

± 20.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Clay County, WV grew at a rate of 3.81%, from 2.33k employees to 2.42k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Clay County, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (436 people), Educational Services (362 people), and Construction (306 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

$48,648

Median earning men ± $16,360

$30,353

Median earning women ± $7,649

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($82,941), Manufacturing ($76,818), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($74,890).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($43,750), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,375), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($31,333).

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.

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

$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.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in West Virginia went to Donald J. Trump with 70% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (28.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.17%).

Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice are the senators currently representing the state of West Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

West Virginia is currently represented by 2 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, WV. Showing the available data for West Virginia.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (70%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (28.1%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (1.17%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in West Virginia went to Donald J. Trump with 70% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (28.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.17%).

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

Senator Elections

US Senators from West Virginia

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

Shelley Moore Capito

Senator from West Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Jim Justice

Senator from West Virginia

Assumed office on January 14, 2025
Inauguration delayed in order to finish his term as Governor of West Virginia.

Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice are the senators currently representing West Virginia.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Clay County, WV was $109,100 in 2024, which is 0.328 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $107,100 to $109,100, a 1.87% increase. The homeownership rate in Clay County, WV is 76%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Clay County, WV have an average commute time of 45.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Clay County, WV is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.44%.

Housing

Property

$109,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$17,906

$2,258

Median Property Taxes

±$286

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

76%

Homeownership

2024

68.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 76% of the housing units in Clay County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 79%.

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

$42,318

Median Household Income

± $10,911

2.97k

Number of Households

± 360

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.97k households in Clay County, WV declined from $42,318 from the previous year's value of $42,790.

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.

0.443

2024 Wage GINI in West Virginia

0.443

2023 Wage GINI in West Virginia

In 2024, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0426% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for West Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 2024

Drove Alone (75.3%)
Carpooled (16%)
Worked At Home (7.44%)

In 2024, 75.3% of workers in Clay County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (16%) and those who worked at home (7.44%).

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

45.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Clay County, WV have a longer commute time (45.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 10.6% 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

3 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 3 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clay County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.44%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

26.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Clay County, WV (2.06k out of 7.77k 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 6 - 11, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Males 25 - 34.

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