Clay County, Nebraska Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Clay County, Nebraska, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Clay County, Nebraska. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Clay County, Nebraska. The estimated population of Clay County, Nebraska is 6,104 people, with a median age of 40.5.

We can look at the total population in Clay County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
6,104
 -1.44% -2.55%
2020
6,193
 -0.16% -
2019
6,203
 -0.47% -
2018
6,232
 -0.51% -
2017
6,264
 - -

Population of Clay County, Nebraska by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
88.6%
89.2%
 -0.67%
Black/African American
0.4%
0.4%
 0.00%
Native
0.1%
0.2%
 -50.00%
Hispanic
9%
8.9%
 +1.12%
Asian
0%
0.3%
 -100.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.9%
0.8%
 +137.50%
Other
0%
0.1%
 -100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Clay County, Nebraska by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 40.5 -3.34% 40.7 -3.1% 40.1 -4.07%
2020 41.9 -1.41% 42 -0.94% 41.8 -1.65%
2019 42.5 0% 42.4 -1.62% 42.5 +0.95%
2018 42.5 -2.3% 43.1 -0.46% 42.1 -4.1%
2017 43.5 - 43.3 - 43.9 -

The median age of Clay County, Nebraska gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 473 -6.42% 374 +6.4% 443 398
10 to 19 358 +8.42% 402 +2.23% 388 410
20 to 29 372 -7.91% 306 -9.79% 343 276
30 to 39 320 +12.22% 355 +16.6% 358 413
40 to 49 363 -22.58% 311 -8.29% 284 285
50 to 59 529 -23.49% 484 -14.62% 415 415
60 to 69 424 +11.96% 365 +5.23% 476 383
70+ 371 +7.75% 457 -8.43% 399 418

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Clay County, Nebraska is $70,690.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Clay County.

  • Under 25
    $33,125.00
  • 25 to 44
    $77,188.00
  • 45 to 64
    $77,813.00
  • 65 and over
    $51,146.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Clay County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Clay County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Clay County, Nebraska is currently $81,539.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

3.66% of households in Clay County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Clay County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    18.20%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    16.80%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.18%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    17.99%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    17.66%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    6.50%
  • $200,000 or more
    3.66%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Clay County is $32,604.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Clay County by the total population of Clay County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Clay County, Nebraska, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Clay County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    7.09%
  • Bachelor's degree
    24.23%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.05%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    53.55%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.08%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Clay County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Clay County over the age of 16 is 4,759.

Of those people, a total of 66.50% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Clay County is 64.30%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 294 41.50% 7.00%
20 to 24 years 282 97.90% 12.70%
25 to 29 years 337 97.00% 5.20%
30 to 34 years 364 83.00% 2.60%
35 to 44 years 638 86.10% 1.70%
45 to 54 years 687 83.10% 1.20%
55 to 59 years 481 78.00% 1.10%
60 to 64 years 449 76.20% 1.50%
65 to 74 years 732 34.40% 0.80%
75 years and over 495 10.30% 2.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Clay County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 4,536 65.70% 3.20%
Black or African American 25 100.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 30 83.30% 0.00%
Asian 1 0.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 81 77.80% 0.00%
Two or more races 86 84.90% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 334 73.70% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 4,348 65.80% 3.40%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Clay County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Clay County is 3,060, with median earnings of $39,617.00.

Women in Clay County, Nebraska earning approximately 69.80% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 3,060 $39,617.00
Male 1,674 $45,040.00
Female 1,386 $31,429.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 473 $62,014.00
Business and Financial 76 $51,167.00
Computer and Mathematical 18 $59,167.00
Architecture and Engineering 27 $49,625.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 24 $41,250.00
Community and Social Service 54 $45,132.00
Legal 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 213 $42,171.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 25 $43,438.00
Healthcare Practitioners 200 $48,750.00
Healthcare Support 149 $18,750.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 21 $72,813.00
Law Enforcement 7 $43,750.00
Food Preparation and Serving 122 $10,441.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 83 $17,639.00
Personal Care and Service 76 $23,750.00
Sales 168 $41,400.00
Office and Administrative Support 320 $32,381.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 118 $46,667.00
Construction and Extraction 182 $37,262.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 145 $48,750.00
Production 245 $35,655.00
Transportation and Material Moving 193 $43,194.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 390 $67,727.00 83 $48,646.00
Business and Financial 46 $55,833.00 30 $37,045.00
Computer and Mathematical 8 $0.00 10 $58,333.00
Architecture and Engineering 26 $49,500.00 1 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 8 $144,167.00 16 $24,063.00
Community and Social Service 33 $45,764.00 21 $32,250.00
Legal 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 48 $55,357.00 165 $41,339.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 8 $43,750.00 17 $26,250.00
Healthcare Practitioners 22 $80,000.00 178 $42,000.00
Healthcare Support 15 $19,250.00 134 $17,500.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 16 $0.00 5 $0.00
Law Enforcement 7 $43,750.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 51 $7,452.00 71 $10,515.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 57 $25,417.00 26 $13,750.00
Personal Care and Service 0 $0.00 76 $23,750.00
Sales 94 $44,000.00 74 $27,500.00
Office and Administrative Support 25 $11,023.00 295 $33,281.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 76 $35,000.00 42 $108,618.00
Construction and Extraction 176 $37,778.00 6 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 144 $49,000.00 1 $0.00
Production 163 $36,250.00 82 $31,111.00
Transportation and Material Moving 155 $50,536.00 38 $14,211.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 2,429 households in Clay County, with an average household size of 2.48 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 1,759 families in Clay County with an average family size of 2.93 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 1,520 88 151 670
Average Household Size 2.94 2.55 3.47 1.21
Total Families 1,520 88 151 0
Average Household Size 2.93 2.42 3.27 0

Poverty

Of the 1,759 families in Clay County, 5.80% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Clay County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 2,832 housing units in Clay County, Nebraska.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 2,429 85.77%
Vacant 403 14.23%

15.15% of the total 2,832 housing units in Clay County are rental units. This is approximately 429 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 1,951 are occupied by the owner - or 68.89% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Clay County is $628.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Clay County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    49
  • Less than $500
    114
  • $500 to $999
    294
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    14
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    0
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    7

Property Value

The median value of a property in Clay County is $117,700.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Clay County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    265
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    563
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    365
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    309
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    270
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    131
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    42
  • $1,000,000 or more
    6

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Clay County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Clay County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    1,031
  • 1940 to 1949
    243
  • 1950 to 1959
    185
  • 1960 to 1969
    353
  • 1970 to 1979
    532
  • 1980 to 1989
    127
  • 1990 to 1999
    156
  • 2000 to 2009
    177
  • 2010 to 2013
    28
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Clay County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    45
  • 1 vehicle available
    492
  • 2 vehicles available
    926
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    966

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Clay County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Clay County that commute to work in a particular way.

21.9 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Clay County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    360
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    362
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    347
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    282
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    360
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    231
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    318
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    132
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    109
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    132
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    77
  • 90 or more minutes
    51

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Clay County, Nebraska in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Clay County, Nebraska

We have data for 19 places in Clay County, Nebraska. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.