COUNTY
Clay County
Missouri · 265,032 residents (2025 est.) · 398 sq mi
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The short version
Clay County is a county of 258,122 people in Missouri. That puts it in the top 3% of US counties for household income. Growth has run 40% since 2000, or 74,116 more people. That is roughly 25% ahead of the Missouri median. The foreign-born share is 6%. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $275,600.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $88,468, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 37.9
US median: 38.9
Average education
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 45%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Clay County
What changed most since 1990
- Population153,411 → 258,122 (+68%)US over the same years: +35%
- Black share1.6% → 6.8% (+5.2 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
Among the 115 counties in Missouri
- 4th in household income$88,468
- 7th in share with a bachelor's degree36.5%
- 6th in home value$275,600
- 13th in diversity score49.1
Section 01
Population & growth
258,122
+40%since 2000
from 184,006 in 2000
265,032 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
398 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024258K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.9%(15,339)
5 to 96.4%(16,474)
10 to 147%(17,974)
15 to 196.4%(16,540)
20 to 245.7%(14,635)
25 to 3414.2%(36,770)
35 to 4414.3%(37,030)
45 to 5412.7%(32,860)
55 to 6412%(31,070)
65 to 749.1%(23,500)
75 to 844.7%(12,227)
85 and over1.4%(3,703)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$88,468
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $48,347 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
57.6%
+22.3 ptssince 2009
from 35.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.4%
Retail trade11%
Other services8.3%
Finance & insurance7.8%
Professional, scientific, technical7.1%
Public administration6.3%
Wholesale trade5.6%
Transportation & warehousing2.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
Education & health services0.7%
Construction0.6%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$275,600
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $104,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.1
+18%since 2009
from 2.6 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
55
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic90.5%(166,445)
Black2.6%(4,794)
Hispanic / Latino3.6%(6,594)
Asian1.3%(2,456)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic77%(198,705)
Black6.8%(17,626)
Hispanic / Latino8%(20,621)
Asian2.6%(6,619)
Other5.6%(14,551)
49
+63%since 2009
from 30 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
26
+10%since 2020
from 24 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican5%(12,931)
Puerto Rican0.6%(1,620)
Central American0.5%(1,224)
South American0.4%(1,156)
Cuban0.4%(1,076)
Spaniard0.3%(712)
Colombian0.2%(532)
Guatemalan0.2%(466)
Dominican0.2%(423)
Honduran0.2%(415)
Chilean0.1%(187)
Ecuadorian0.1%(163)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0%(126)
Argentine0%(105)
Salvadoran0%(96)
Peruvian0%(81)
Bolivian0%(74)
Nicaraguan0%(62)
Costa Rican0%(24)
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.9%(2,437)
Asian Indian0.5%(1,246)
Chinese0.3%(695)
Filipino0.2%(543)
Japanese0.1%(374)
Burmese0.1%(341)
Cambodian0.1%(255)
Pakistani0.1%(162)
Korean0.1%(161)
Taiwanese0%(48)
Kazakh0%(29)
Sri Lankan0%(28)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Ancestry
German20.6%(53,047)
English14.9%(38,574)
Irish12.7%(32,831)
American5.4%(13,906)
Italian4.8%(12,432)
Scottish2.3%(5,879)
French1.9%(4,835)
Swedish1.5%(3,936)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(3,658)
Polish1.3%(3,440)
Subsaharan African1.3%(3,309)
Dutch1%(2,651)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.9%(2,448)
Welsh0.7%(1,895)
Arab0.7%(1,712)
British0.4%(1,028)
Danish0.3%(900)
Czech0.3%(809)
French Canadian0.3%(779)
Russian0.3%(708)
Iraqi0.3%(658)
Swiss0.2%(626)
Croatian0.2%(516)
Belgian0.2%(497)
Portuguese0.2%(487)
West Indian0.2%(476)
Canadian0.1%(352)
Somali0.1%(336)
Haitian0.1%(332)
Greek0.1%(325)
Finnish0.1%(310)
Hungarian0.1%(306)
Ethiopian0.1%(291)
Slovak0.1%(251)
Austrian0.1%(216)
Ukrainian0.1%(211)
Lithuanian0.1%(192)
Turkish0.1%(176)
Egyptian0.1%(163)
Nigerian0.1%(151)
Brazilian0%(114)
Lebanese0%(111)
Serbian0%(58)
Latvian0%(48)
Iranian0%(47)
Jordanian0%(40)
Romanian0%(39)
Israeli0%(36)
Cape Verdean0%(32)
Ghanaian0%(28)
Kenyan0%(22)
Syrian0%(19)
Armenian0%(19)
Guyanese0%(16)
Jamaican0%(7)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
94.2%
+5.5 ptssince 2000
from 88.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.7%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 79.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.1%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 94.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.9%(33,584)
Married54.2%(55,341)
Widowed1.8%(1,861)
Divorced11.1%(11,310)
Women 15+
Never married26.7%(28,344)
Married51%(54,130)
Widowed7.2%(7,661)
Divorced15.2%(16,104)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
13.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 14.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.6%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 2.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
77.6%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 78.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
26.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 25.4% 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)28%(3,908)
Gulf War (1990s)25.1%(3,503)
Vietnam era33.7%(4,702)
Korean War4.1%(575)
World War II0.4%(58)
Share of the 13,951 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.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Clay County, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 153,411 | $82,490 | $163,685 | 20.0% | 12.3 |
| 2000 | 184,006 | $88,072 | $190,181 | 24.9% | 22.4 |
| 2010 | 221,939 | $84,241 | $221,396 | 30.2% | 35.6 |
| 2020 | 253,335 | $87,324 | $225,076 | 32.8% | 50.6 |
| 2024 | 258,122 | $88,468 | $275,600 | 36.5% | 49.1 |
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
Drill deeper
Places similar to Clay County
Head to head
Compare Clay County to nearby counties
CLAY COUNTY VS
Platte County
Income$96,227+9%
Home value$345,100+25%
Population114,400−57%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CLAY COUNTY VS
Clinton County
Income$70,627−20%
Home value$226,800−18%
Population21,661−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CLAY COUNTY VS
Jackson County
Income$68,577−22%
Home value$230,500−16%
Population732,994+177%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CLAY COUNTY VS
Ray County
Income$74,573−16%
Home value$198,800−28%
Population23,398−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Clay County, Missouri?
Clay County, Missouri has about 258,122 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Clay County, Missouri?
The typical household in Clay County, Missouri earns about $88,468 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Clay County, Missouri expensive?
In Clay County, Missouri, the median home is worth about $275,600, and the typical rent is about $1,243 a month.
How educated are people in Clay County, Missouri?
About 36.5% of adults age 25 and over in Clay County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Clay County, Missouri?
About 8.5% of people in Clay County, Missouri live below the federal poverty line.
Has Clay County, Missouri grown since 1990?
Yes, Clay County, Missouri has grown since 1990. The population has added about 104,711 residents, a change of about 68 percent over that period.
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55 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 213.13Census Tract 213.07Census Tract 213.12Census Tract 213.14Census Tract 220Census Tract 203Census Tract 219Census Tract 212.12Census Tract 209.01Census Tract 205Census Tract 221Census Tract 223.02Census Tract 213.03Census Tract 213.09Census Tract 218.12Census Tract 206.04Census Tract 212.08Census Tract 212.04Census Tract 214.04Census Tract 212.1018 ZIP codes
ZIP 64118ZIP 64068ZIP 64119ZIP 64155ZIP 64157ZIP 64116ZIP 64060ZIP 64024ZIP 64117ZIP 64089ZIP 64156ZIP 64158ZIP 64048ZIP 64161ZIP 64166ZIP 64167ZIP 64165ZIP 64072Up the hierarchy
All counties in MissouriDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024