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COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Clay County

Minnesota · 51,229 residents · 1,045 sq mi
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The short version

Clay County is home to 51,229 people in Minnesota. That trails the Minnesota median by roughly 20%. Median home value sits at $84,300. Median rent is $421 a month. The average commute runs 12 minutes. Owners hold 72% of the housing stock.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 32.3
US median: 35.2
Average education
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

51,229
+2%since 1990
from 50,422 in 1990
1990 – 2025
32.3
+12%since 1990
from 28.9 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
1,045 sq mi
Population, 19902024
49K54K58K63K68K19902000201020202024Clay County
202466K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.2%(3,167)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.8%(3,491)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.6%(3,886)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 1910.7%(5,485)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 2410.8%(5,532)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411%(5,643)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4414.7%(7,522)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5412%(6,160)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 647.3%(3,746)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.2%(3,187)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.6%(2,379)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over2%(1,031)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$37,889
+11%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $25,891 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
$17,557
+62%since 1990
from $10,836 in 1990
US average: $21,522
13.2%
−2.6 ptssince 1990
from 15.9% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

$84,300
+9%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $58,500 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
$421
−5%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $335 in 1990
US average: $602
71.6%
+3.3 ptssince 1990
from 68.3% in 1990
28.4% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic96.4%(48,612)
Black0.3%(135)
Hispanic / Latino1.9%(980)
Asian0.8%(420)
2000
White, non-Hispanic92.4%(47,330)
Black0.5%(261)
Hispanic / Latino3.7%(1,872)
Asian0.9%(439)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.5%(2,301)
Puerto Rican0.5%(345)
Cuban0.1%(74)
Colombian0.1%(57)
Venezuelan0.1%(37)
Spaniard0%(25)
Argentine0%(16)
Peruvian0%(12)
Asian origin
Hmong0.3%(220)
Vietnamese0.3%(195)
Filipino0.2%(151)
Bangladeshi0.2%(138)
Asian Indian0.1%(96)
Sri Lankan0.1%(64)
Korean0.1%(34)
Laotian0.1%(34)
Chinese0%(29)
Nepalese0%(13)
Pacific Islander origin
Fijian0%(32)
Ancestry
German29.7%(19,639)
Norwegian27%(17,860)
Irish6.6%(4,389)
English5.7%(3,779)
Swedish5.3%(3,522)
French2.9%(1,900)
Polish2.6%(1,707)
American2.1%(1,414)
Dutch1.6%(1,037)
Arab1.4%(943)
Italian1.4%(894)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
Finnish1.1%(732)
Danish1%(681)
Scottish1%(671)
Czech1%(645)
Somali0.8%(552)
Russian0.6%(393)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(289)
Welsh0.3%(216)
West Indian0.3%(197)
Croatian0.3%(180)
Belgian0.3%(179)
Kenyan0.3%(177)
Swiss0.3%(172)
Haitian0.2%(144)
Iraqi0.2%(141)
Ghanaian0.2%(130)
Ukrainian0.2%(118)
Greek0.1%(89)
Lebanese0.1%(85)
British0.1%(67)
Hungarian0.1%(63)
Syrian0.1%(51)
Austrian0.1%(50)
Romanian0.1%(46)
Nigerian0.1%(43)
Serbian0.1%(41)
Jamaican0%(29)
Latvian0%(28)
Barbadian0%(24)
Ethiopian0%(21)
Brazilian0%(18)
Canadian0%(14)
Slovak0%(14)
Iranian0%(13)
Section 05

Education

24.7%
+3.2 ptssince 1990
from 21.5% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
86.7%
+6.2 ptssince 1990
from 80.5% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
7.4%
+1.1 ptssince 1990
from 6.2% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

11.6 min
−38%since 1990
from 18.6 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.8%(6,690)
Married56.2%(10,798)
Widowed1.9%(374)
Divorced7.1%(1,365)
Women 15+
Never married31.8%(6,818)
Married50.8%(10,876)
Widowed9.5%(2,036)
Divorced7.9%(1,694)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

4.0%
−3.6 ptssince 2013
from 7.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
63.6%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 64.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 15.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
15.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 14.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
19.1%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 18.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.5%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
76.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 77.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
33.0%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 31.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)37.2%(1,011)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.2%(576)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.3%(770)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5%(135)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.8%(21)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,719 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

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Frequently asked

How many people live in Clay County, Minnesota?

Clay County, Minnesota has about 51,229 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Clay County, Minnesota?

The typical household in Clay County, Minnesota earns about $37,889 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Clay County, Minnesota expensive?

In Clay County, Minnesota, the median home is worth about $84,300, and the typical rent is about $421 a month.

How educated are people in Clay County, Minnesota?

About 24.7% of adults age 25 and over in Clay County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Clay County, Minnesota?

About 13.2% of people in Clay County, Minnesota live below the federal poverty line.

Has Clay County, Minnesota grown since 1990?

Yes, Clay County, Minnesota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 807 residents, a change of about 2 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →