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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Clay County

Missouri · 253,335 residents · 398 sq mi
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The short version

Clay County is home to 253,335 people in Missouri. Growth has run 38% since 2000, or 69,329 more people. Households here earn about 26% more than in Missouri as a whole. The foreign-born share is 5%. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $185,700. Poverty is uncommon here, at 8.2% of residents.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 37.3
US median: 38.8
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
253,335
+38%since 2000
from 184,006 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
37.3
+7%since 2000
from 35.0 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
398 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
143K174K206K237K269K19902000201020202024Clay County
2024258K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.2%(15,748)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.8%(17,151)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147.2%(18,347)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.7%(16,903)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.8%(14,784)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.9%(35,228)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.8%(34,912)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.6%(31,820)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.3%(31,128)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.9%(22,605)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.3%(10,921)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.5%(3,788)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$72,047
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $48,347 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$34,723
+50%since 2000
from $23,144 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
48.0%
+12.7 ptssince 2009
from 35.3% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
8.2%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 5.5% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.6%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade11.2%
US avg: 10%
Other services7.8%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance7.8%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical6.9%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration5.9%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade5.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.9%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$185,700
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $104,400 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$995
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $576 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
67.6%
−3.1 ptssince 2000
from 70.7% in 2000
32.4% rent
Persons per household
2.64 people
+6%since 2009
from 2.48 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.6
−2%since 2009
from 2.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic76.3%(193,282)
Black7%(17,853)
Hispanic / Latino7.4%(18,850)
Asian2.4%(6,059)
Other4.5%(11,328)
Segregation Score
24
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
Mexican4.9%(12,075)
Puerto Rican0.4%(1,076)
Cuban0.4%(889)
Spaniard0.2%(608)
Honduran0.2%(370)
Guatemalan0.1%(230)
Colombian0.1%(208)
Dominican0.1%(134)
Peruvian0.1%(127)
Panamanian0%(121)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.9%(2,158)
Asian Indian0.4%(1,018)
Chinese0.3%(796)
Filipino0.2%(489)
Korean0.1%(310)
Burmese0.1%(244)
Japanese0%(80)
Thai0%(80)
Pakistani0%(57)
Mongolian0%(38)
Malaysian0%(38)
Taiwanese0%(17)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(191)
Samoan0%(34)
Ancestry
German21.5%(52,957)
Irish13%(32,085)
English11.4%(28,069)
American6.7%(16,414)
Italian4.9%(12,004)
French2.3%(5,647)
Scottish1.7%(4,130)
Swedish1.6%(3,918)
Polish1.5%(3,686)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(3,480)
Dutch1.3%(3,121)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.9%(2,290)
Norwegian0.8%(1,906)
British0.6%(1,445)
Russian0.5%(1,232)
Danish0.4%(1,057)
Czech0.4%(868)
West Indian0.3%(750)
Swiss0.3%(743)
Arab0.2%(583)
Belgian0.2%(494)
Austrian0.2%(483)
Greek0.2%(473)
Croatian0.2%(446)
Finnish0.2%(419)
Iraqi0.1%(366)
Portuguese0.1%(349)
Haitian0.1%(349)
Hungarian0.1%(345)
Nigerian0.1%(317)
Canadian0.1%(245)
Lithuanian0.1%(241)
Slovak0.1%(192)
Ethiopian0.1%(135)
Ukrainian0.1%(127)
Egyptian0%(112)
Jamaican0%(105)
Brazilian0%(93)
Romanian0%(91)
Turkish0%(86)
Ghanaian0%(85)
Lebanese0%(75)
Iranian0%(71)
Bulgarian0%(70)
Serbian0%(51)
Israeli0%(37)
Syrian0%(32)
Jordanian0%(31)
Latvian0%(13)
Armenian0%(12)
Somali0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
32.8%
+7.9 ptssince 2000
from 24.9% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
93.4%
+4.6 ptssince 2000
from 88.7% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
10.9%
+3.4 ptssince 2000
from 7.5% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.3 min
+68%since 2000
from 13.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
82.5%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 84.9% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.1%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 5.9% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
70.1%
−2.0 ptssince 2011
from 72.0% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.2%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
38.1%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 35.4% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.8% in 2009
Female
50.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.2% in 2009
Foreign born
5.3%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
7.8%
−2.3 ptssince 2013
from 10.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
94.6%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
83.5%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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

Uninsured
7.8%
−2.3 ptssince 2013
from 10.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
66.0%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
14.1%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
15.7%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
10.2%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.6%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
78.2%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
25.4%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)19.7%(2,962)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)22.8%(3,429)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era33.1%(4,974)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War8.7%(1,311)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.3%(339)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 15,037 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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Clay County

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Places similar to Clay County
Head to head

Compare Clay County to nearby counties

CLAY COUNTY VS
Platte County
Income$96,227+34%
Home value$345,100+86%
Population114,400−57%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CLAY COUNTY VS
Clinton County
Income$70,627−2%
Home value$226,800+22%
Population21,661−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CLAY COUNTY VS
Jackson County
Income$68,577−5%
Home value$230,500+24%
Population732,994+177%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CLAY COUNTY VS
Ray County
Income$74,573+4%
Home value$198,800+7%
Population23,398−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Clay County, Missouri?

Clay County, Missouri has about 253,335 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Clay County, Missouri earns about $72,047 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 $185,700, and the typical rent is about $995 a month.

How educated are people in Clay County, Missouri?

About 32.8% 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 8.2% 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 99,924 residents, a change of about 65 percent over that period.

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

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