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Clay, AL
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
10,273
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
39.9
years ∙ half population younger than 39.9, half older
Diversity Index
59.2%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
2.3%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Clay is a city within Jefferson County, Alabama, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC33.696583° N, 86.608182° W
DMS33° 41′ 47.70″ N, 86° 36′ 29.46″ W
Population Density & area
909.1/sq mi
(351.8/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
46.9%
male
Male
46.9%
Female
53.1%
males per 100 females
Clay
88.5
Jefferson County
90.3
Alabama
94.4
Nativity
2.3%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Clay
2.3%
Jefferson County
4.9%
Alabama
4%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
39.9
years ∙ half population younger than 39.9, half older
Dependency ratio
89
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Clay
89
Jefferson County
65.9
Alabama
66.7
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Clay | Jefferson County | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 28.2% | 22.9% | 22.2% |
| Working age (18-64) | 52.9% | 60.3% | 60% |
| Senior (65+) | 18.9% | 16.8% | 17.8% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 89 | 65.9 | 66.7 |
| Child dependency ratio | 53.2 | 38.1 | 37.1 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 35.8 | 27.8 | 29.6 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
59.2%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Clay
59.2%
Jefferson County
59.3%
Alabama
52.8%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Clay population
| Clay | Jefferson County | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.4% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| Mexican | 2.2% | 3.3% | 3.2% |
| Puerto Rican | 0% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Cuban | 0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 1.2% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 96.6% | 94.5% | 94.4% |
| One race | 95.1% | 92.2% | 91.1% |
| White | 47% | 47.5% | 63.4% |
| Black or African American | 43% | 42.1% | 25.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.6% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Asian | 2.5% | 1.9% | 1.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.1% | 0% |
| Some Other Race | 0% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 1.5% | 2.3% | 3.3% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
80.3%
family
Family
80.3%
Non family
19.7%
% family households
Clay
80.3%
Jefferson County
60.7%
Alabama
64.5%
Average household size
2.74
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Clay population
| Clay | Jefferson County | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 3,740 | 269,883 | 1,997,247 |
| Average houshold size | 2.74 | 2.4 | 2.48 |
| Family households | 3,004 | 163,916 | 1,287,290 |
| Average family size | 3.1 | 3.11 | 3.11 |
| Married couple family | 2,220 | 106,993 | 920,332 |
| Other families | 784 | 56,923 | 366,958 |
| Male householder | 273 | 12,651 | 87,023 |
| Female householder | 511 | 44,272 | 279,935 |
| Non-family households | 736 | 105,967 | 709,957 |
| One-person households | 624 | 90,965 | 615,375 |
| Male householder | 273 | 38,709 | 273,110 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 68 | 10,588 | 84,581 |
| Female householder | 351 | 52,256 | 342,265 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 175 | 22,926 | 170,988 |
| Other living arrangements | 112 | 15,002 | 94,582 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
4,335
housing units
Clay
4,335
Jefferson County
310,789
Alabama
2,337,265
Occupancy status
86.3%
occupied
Occupied
86.3%
Vacant
13.7%
vacancy rate
Clay
13.7%
Jefferson County
13.2%
Alabama
14.5%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
93.2%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1994
Half of houses were built before 1994, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Clay | Jefferson County | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.9 |
| 1–3 rooms | 11.1% | 10.6% | 8.4% |
| 4–6 rooms | 44% | 52.4% | 54.5% |
| 7+ rooms | 44.9% | 37% | 36.9% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 4.7% | 1.8% | 1.5% |
| 1 bedroom | 0.8% | 8.8% | 6.3% |
| 2 bedrooms | 15.4% | 25.3% | 21.6% |
| 3 bedrooms | 46.3% | 43.3% | 48.3% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 32.7% | 20.8% | 22.4% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1994 | 1976 | 1987 |
| Total housing units | 4,335 | 310,789 | 2,337,265 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
90.5%
owners
Renter-occupied
9.5%
Owner-occupied
90.5%
homeownership rate
Clay
90.5%
Jefferson County
63.9%
Alabama
70.2%
Average household size
2.72
Owner-occupied
2.91
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Clay
2.72
Jefferson County
2.54
Alabama
2.57
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Clay | Jefferson County | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 3,740 | 269,883 | 1,997,247 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 22.3% | 26.6% | 23.9% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 42.6% | 38.3% | 38.3% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 20.7% | 15.2% | 16.7% |
| 1999 or earlier | 14.5% | 19.9% | 21.1% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 99.3% | 98.4% | 98.3% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 0.7% | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| 1.51 or more | 0% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 1% | 7% | 5.4% |
| 1 vehicle | 25.1% | 35.2% | 31.6% |
| 2 vehicles | 42% | 35.6% | 36.6% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 31.9% | 22.2% | 26.4% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 54.2% | 50.2% | 31% |
| Electricity | 45.2% | 48.7% | 67.4% |
| Solar | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| All other fuels | 0% | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| No fuel used | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0% | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0.5% | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| No telephone service available | 0.7% | 0.8% | 1% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$220,600
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
37.5%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Clay | Jefferson County | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $220,600 | $240,000 | $209,900 |
| Under $100,000 | 4.4% | 17.5% | 22.3% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 37.7% | 23.9% | 25.2% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 31.5% | 19.4% | 21.7% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 25.8% | 23.5% | 20.8% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 0.5% | 12.1% | 8.3% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 0% | 3.8% | 1.7% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 68.2% | 59.9% | 54.1% |
| Without a mortgage | 31.8% | 40.1% | 45.9% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $1,439 | $1,619 | $1,433 |
| Without a mortgage | $464 | $533 | $447 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $2,240 | $1,193 | $1,007 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
23.2%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Clay
23.2%
Jefferson County
36.2%
Alabama
28.4%
Adults without a high school diploma
6.9%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Clay
6.9%
Jefferson County
8.8%
Alabama
11.4%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
2,050
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
18.8%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Clay | Jefferson County | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 2,050 | 164,113 | 1,213,681 |
| Nursery / preschool | 10.8% | 6.9% | 5.9% |
| K–12 | 72.9% | 66.5% | 67.7% |
| Kindergarten | 12.5% | 5.9% | 5.1% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 8.4% | 19.4% | 19.8% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 17.9% | 20.2% | 21.1% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 34% | 21% | 21.7% |
| College or graduate school | 16.3% | 26.7% | 26.4% |
| College, undergraduate | 7.5% | 19.6% | 21.4% |
| Graduate, professional school | 8.8% | 7.1% | 5% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 18.8% | 42.2% | 42.5% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 72.7% | 82.8% | 83.6% |
| Private school | 27.3% | 17.2% | 16.4% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
6,746
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Clay | Jefferson County | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 6,746 | 453,037 | 3,473,706 |
| Less than 9th grade | 1.8% | 2.5% | 3.6% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 5.1% | 6.3% | 7.8% |
| High school diploma or GED | 31.1% | 26.3% | 30.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 26.3% | 20.5% | 20.8% |
| Associate's degree | 12.5% | 8.2% | 9.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.2% | 36.2% | 28.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 16.4% | 21.4% | 17.3% |
| Graduate or professional | 6.8% | 14.8% | 11.1% |
| High School or higher | 93.1% | 91.2% | 88.6% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$48,510
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
5%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Clay | Jefferson County | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $48,510 | $49,884 | $46,831 |
| Less than high school graduate | $— | $27,598 | $30,696 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $36,285 | $36,510 | $37,156 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $42,011 | $41,921 | $43,231 |
| Bachelor's degree | $73,693 | $63,328 | $61,115 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $73,796 | $79,389 | $75,030 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 0.9% | 30.4% | 28.8% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 1.9% | 17.8% | 16.1% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 23.8% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5% | 4.9% | 4.7% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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