County profile

Clay County

Indiana · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
26,409
Median household income
$70,010
People below poverty
11.7%
Median home value
$153,000

Income

The median income of households in Clay County, Indiana was $70,010. An estimated 5.2% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 6.7% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 5.2
$10,000 to $14,999 2.7
$15,000 to $24,999 6.2
$25,000 to $34,999 8.9
$35,000 to $49,999 12.5
$50,000 to $74,999 17.4
$75,000 to $99,999 14.8
$100,000 to $149,999 17.6
$150,000 to $199,999 7.9
$200,000 or more 6.7

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 64270
Female 44608

An estimated 73.6% of households received earnings. An estimated 35.8% of households received Social Security and an estimated 26.7 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $22,654. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 73.6
Social Security 35.8
Retirement income 26.7
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 6.8
Cash public assistance income 1.1

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 11.7 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 15.1% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 9.5% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 11.1% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 11.7
Children under 18 years below poverty 15.1
People 65 years old and over below poverty 9.5
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 11.1

In 2020-2024, 7.8 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 43.7% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 32.8% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 32.6% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024, 94% had health insurance coverage and 6% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 69.9% and public coverage was 38.6%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 4.6%.


In 2020-2024, Clay County, Indiana had a total population of 26,409 - 13,310 (50.4%) females and 13,099 (49.6%) males. The median age was 41.4 years. An estimated 22.9% of the population was under 18 years, 29.8% was 19 to 44 years, 26.4% was 45 to 64 years, and 18.9 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 772 808
5 to 9 753 701
10 to 14 926 981
15 to 19 875 771
20 to 24 672 649
25 to 29 750 719
30 to 34 906 816
35 to 39 933 883
40 to 44 730 803
45 to 49 812 774
50 to 54 885 908
55 to 59 849 695
60 to 64 970 1082
65 to 69 900 969
70 to 74 543 651
75 to 79 461 368
80 to 84 118 347
85 and over 244 385

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 94.6% were White; 0.5% were Black or African American; 15.7% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0.4% were Asian; 0.1% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 3.4% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 2% of the people in Clay County, Indiana were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 94% of the people in Clay County, Indiana were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 10,549 households in Clay County, Indiana. The average household size was 2.46 people.

Married-couple households made up 52.4% of the households in Clay County, Indiana while cohabiting couple households made up 5.1% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 26.9% of all households, while 15.5% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 10.8% of households were male householders living alone, and 14.8% were female householders living alone, for a total of 25.6% of all households.

In Clay County, Indiana, 29.9% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 35.6% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 52.4
Cohabiting Couples 5.1
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
15.5
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
26.9

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 56.6% of males and 52.5% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 28.2 21.2
Now married, except separated 56.6 52.5
Separated 1.8 1
Widowed 2.9 11.1
Divorced 10.4 14.3

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Clay County, Indiana, 410 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 25.1% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 98.9% of the people living in Clay County, Indiana were U.S. natives. 82.9% of the Clay County, Indiana population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 1.1% of Clay County, Indiana residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 84.6% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 81.2 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Clay County, Indiana come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Clay County, Indiana.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 31.9
Asia 30.2
Europe 17.4
Africa 16.1
Northern America 4.4
Oceania 0

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024, 1.5 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 0.7% of people at least five years old; 0.7% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 0.7
Other Indo-European languages 0.4
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0.4
Other languages 0.1

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 90.1 % of the people at least one year old living in Clay County, Indiana were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 90.1
Different house, same county 5.3
Different county, same state 3
Different state 1.5
Abroad 0

Education

In 2020-2024, 90.2 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 20.3% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 9.8% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Clay County, Indiana was 5,695 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 344 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 4,453. College or graduate school enrollment was 898.

Educational Attainment of People in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 9.8
High school diploma or equivalency 38.8
Some college, no degree 17.4
Associate's degree 13.6
Bachelor's degree 14
Graduate or professional degree 6.3

Disability

In Clay County, Indiana, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 17.6 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 7.1% of people under 18 years old, to 15.5% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 37.3% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Clay County, Indiana, 58.3 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 39.6% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 82.7% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 12.7% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 4.6 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 10,179 82.7
Federal, state, or local government workers 1,568 12.7
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 560 4.6

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Clay County, Indiana worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 2.3
Construction 6.8
Manufacturing 19.8
Wholesale trade 1.3
Retail trade 9
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 9
Information 0.8
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 3.7
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 5.7
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 27.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 6
Other Services, except public administration 4.2
Public administration 4.3

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 4,126 33.5
Service occupations 1,944 15.8
Sales and office occupations 1,961 15.9
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 1,268 10.3
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 3,008 24.4

Commuting to Work

An estimated 81.2% of Clay County, Indiana workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 11.8% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 29.1 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 81.2
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 11.8
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.1
Walked 1.3
Other means 0.7
Worked from home 4.8

In 2020-2024, Clay County, Indiana had a total of 11,645 housing units. Of these housing units, 83.8% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 6.1% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 10.3% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 83.8
Apartments in multi-unit structures 6.1
Mobile homes 10.3
Boat, RV, van, etc 0

6.3% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 20.3% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Clay County, Indiana was 6 rooms, and of these housing units 64.8% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Clay County, Indiana had 10,549 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 1,096 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 80.9% while renters occupied 19.1%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.54 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.14.

2.5% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 13.2% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 4.2% and another 33.2% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Clay County, Indiana:

House Heating Fuel Used in Clay County, Indiana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 40.4
Electricity 53.9
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 2
All other fuels 3.5
No fuel used 0.2

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Clay County, Indiana was $153,000.

Of the owner-occupied households, 61.6 % had a mortgage. 38.4% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,207 and for owners without a mortgage it was $412.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Clay County, Indiana was $873. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.