Clay County, South Dakota Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Clay County, South Dakota, 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, South Dakota. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Clay County, South Dakota. The estimated population of Clay County, South Dakota is 14,816 people, with a median age of 24.7.

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
14,816
+5.26%
+6.54%
2020
14,076
+0.85%
-
2019
13,957
+0.23%
-
2018
13,925
+0.13%
-
2017
13,907
 - -

Population of Clay County, South Dakota 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
85.9%
88.2%
 -2.61%
Black/African American
1.6%
1.5%
 +6.67%
Native
3.2%
2.9%
 +10.34%
Hispanic
3.2%
2.7%
 +18.52%
Asian
2.9%
2.5%
 +16.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.7%
2.3%
 +17.39%
Other
0.4%
0%
 0.00%

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, South Dakota 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 24.7 -1.98% 25.5 -0.39% 24.1 -2.03%
2020 25.2 +1.2% 25.6 +1.19% 24.6 0%
2019 24.9 -0.4% 25.3 +1.61% 24.6 -1.99%
2018 25 0% 24.9 -1.58% 25.1 +1.21%
2017 25 - 25.3 - 24.8 -

The median age of Clay County, South Dakota 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 9 699 -12.56% 656 +25.35% 610 822
10 to 19 1,261 +41.89% 1,364 +8.84% 1,846 1,482
20 to 29 2,078 -22.07% 2,002 +6.89% 1,650 2,128
30 to 39 591 +21.81% 618 -1.24% 727 610
40 to 49 686 -9.33% 544 +4.04% 622 562
50 to 59 576 +7.37% 645 -18.91% 611 525
60 to 69 614 +20.46% 566 +31.09% 748 761
70+ 450 +8.89% 557 +11.41% 489 623

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Clay County, South Dakota is $56,077.00.

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
    $21,861.00
  • 25 to 44
    $65,650.00
  • 45 to 64
    $81,541.00
  • 65 and over
    $63,125.00

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, South Dakota is currently $75,860.00.

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.

4.66% 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
    23.64%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    22.72%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    16.80%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    12.91%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    12.93%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    6.35%
  • $200,000 or more
    4.66%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Clay County is $28,259.00.

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, South Dakota, 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
    20.12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    38.58%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    6.85%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    33.04%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.41%

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 12,321.

Of those people, a total of 69.90% 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 65.10%.

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 2,265 70.00% 27.40%
20 to 24 years 2,726 69.30% 2.10%
25 to 29 years 1,052 89.30% 0.00%
30 to 34 years 710 79.90% 0.00%
35 to 44 years 1,278 91.90% 3.60%
45 to 54 years 1,192 88.20% 4.00%
55 to 59 years 477 70.60% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 892 61.40% 0.00%
65 to 74 years 1,047 43.60% 0.00%
75 years and over 682 9.10% 0.00%

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 10,958 70.90% 6.60%
Black or African American 252 53.60% 2.40%
American Indian and Alaska Native 274 50.00% 0.00%
Asian 294 84.00% 15.40%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 11 0.00% 0.00%
Other 129 28.70% 0.00%
Two or more races 403 70.70% 0.70%
Hispanic or Latino 352 58.20% 1.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 10,896 70.90% 6.60%

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 8,023, with median earnings of $26,973.00.

Women in Clay County, South Dakota earning approximately 63.70% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 8,023 $26,973.00
Male 3,963 $35,119.00
Female 4,060 $22,371.00

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 759 $52,899.00
Business and Financial 174 $67,143.00
Computer and Mathematical 188 $53,553.00
Architecture and Engineering 87 $31,118.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 121 $22,159.00
Community and Social Service 166 $41,395.00
Legal 54 $41,181.00
Educational and Library 1,008 $47,412.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 234 $27,308.00
Healthcare Practitioners 370 $53,611.00
Healthcare Support 419 $25,407.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 92 $9,773.00
Law Enforcement 45 $56,250.00
Food Preparation and Serving 809 $9,229.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 255 $11,583.00
Personal Care and Service 235 $4,847.00
Sales 728 $9,542.00
Office and Administrative Support 842 $21,315.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 115 $73,328.00
Construction and Extraction 271 $35,938.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 191 $49,420.00
Production 290 $25,114.00
Transportation and Material Moving 246 $45,192.00

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 493 $54,315.00 266 $47,841.00
Business and Financial 73 $110,774.00 101 $65,268.00
Computer and Mathematical 149 $58,031.00 39 $38,618.00
Architecture and Engineering 34 $45,536.00 53 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 33 $25,515.00 88 $2,499.00
Community and Social Service 55 $43,125.00 111 $40,959.00
Legal 8 $0.00 46 $40,903.00
Educational and Library 502 $48,676.00 506 $45,729.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 102 $13,235.00 132 $32,500.00
Healthcare Practitioners 65 $139,313.00 305 $52,122.00
Healthcare Support 16 $10,000.00 403 $25,506.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 46 $11,923.00 46 $8,258.00
Law Enforcement 45 $56,250.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 419 $12,604.00 390 $7,850.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 184 $17,770.00 71 $4,489.00
Personal Care and Service 33 $11,250.00 202 $4,599.00
Sales 333 $12,648.00 395 $7,276.00
Office and Administrative Support 102 $22,206.00 740 $21,186.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 111 $73,393.00 4 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 265 $36,082.00 6 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 187 $49,598.00 4 $0.00
Production 190 $22,024.00 100 $25,795.00
Transportation and Material Moving 227 $47,019.00 19 $0.00

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 5,322 households in Clay County, with an average household size of 2.33 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 2,676 families in Clay County with an average family size of 2.97 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 2,172 202 302 2,646
Average Household Size 2.98 3.39 3.87 1.54
Total Families 2,172 202 302 0
Average Household Size 2.94 3.11 3.1 0

Poverty

Of the 2,676 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 6,091 housing units in Clay County, South Dakota.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 5,322 87.37%
Vacant 769 12.63%

37.63% of the total 6,091 housing units in Clay County are rental units. This is approximately 2,292 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 2,873 are occupied by the owner - or 47.17% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Clay County is $725.00.

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
    157
  • Less than $500
    465
  • $500 to $999
    1,369
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    289
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    160
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    9
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Clay County is $179,000.00.

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
    281
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    199
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    560
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    564
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    661
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    464
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    124
  • $1,000,000 or more
    20

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
    1,361
  • 1940 to 1949
    352
  • 1950 to 1959
    221
  • 1960 to 1969
    640
  • 1970 to 1979
    934
  • 1980 to 1989
    628
  • 1990 to 1999
    878
  • 2000 to 2009
    487
  • 2010 to 2013
    590
  • 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
    338
  • 1 vehicle available
    2,041
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,525
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,418

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.

16.3 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
    805
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    2,531
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    1,205
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    582
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    234
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    234
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    297
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    173
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    143
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    347
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    233
  • 90 or more minutes
    132

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Clay County, South Dakota 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, South Dakota

We have data for 12 places in Clay County, South Dakota. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.