Clay County, Mississippi

County in MS, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

18,383

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

39.8

years ∙ half population younger than 39.8, half older

Diversity Index

50.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

0.4%

foreign-born population

99.6%Native

0.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Clay County is a county in Mississippi, United States.

Location

County in MS, US

Co-ordinates

DEC33.659670° N, 88.782468° W

DMS33° 39′ 34.81″ N, 88° 46′ 56.88″ W

Population Density & area

44.83/sq mi (17.31/km²)

Total Area

416 sq mi (1,077.5 km²)

Land Area

410.1 sq mi (1,062.1 km²) · 98.6%

Water Area

5.9 sq mi (15.4 km²) · 1.4%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

46.7% male

Male 46.7%

Female 53.3%

males per 100 females

Clay County 87.7

Mississippi 94.2

United States 98

Nativity

0.4%

foreign-born population

99.6%Native

0.4% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Clay County 0.4%

Mississippi 2.4%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

39.8

years ∙ half population younger than 39.8, half older

Clay County

39.8

Mississippi

38.6

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

73.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Clay County 73.4

Mississippi 68

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Clay County	Mississippi	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	22.5%	23.3%	22%
Working age (18-64)	57.7%	59.5%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	19.8%	17.2%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	73.4	68	64.4
Child dependency ratio	39.1	39.2	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	34.3	28.8	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

36.8%

Black

60.2%

Asian

0.1%

Hispanic

0.2%

Other

2.7%

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

50.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Clay County 50.1%

Mississippi 56.1%

United States 61.4%

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 County population

Racial and ethnic composition — Clay County vs Mississippi vs United States. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Clay County	Mississippi	United States
Hispanic or Latino	0.2%	3.7%	19.3%
Mexican	0.1%	2%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.1%	1.3%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	99.8%	96.3%	80.7%
One race	97.1%	93.3%	76.4%
White	36.8%	55.2%	57.4%
Black or African American	60.2%	36.3%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.4%	0.5%
Asian	0.1%	1%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0%	0.3%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.7%	3%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

68.1% family

Family 68.1%

Non family 31.9%

% family households

Clay County 68.1%

Mississippi 65.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.32

persons per household

Clay County

2.32

Mississippi

2.49

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Clay County population

	Clay County	Mississippi	United States
Total households	7,805	1,145,431	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.32	2.49	2.53
Family households	5,314	747,604	82,990,528
Average family size	2.84	3.12	3.14
Married couple family	3,066	498,140	60,637,388
Other families	2,248	249,464	22,353,140
Male householder	309	54,654	6,572,819
Female householder	1,939	194,810	15,780,321
Non-family households	2,491	397,827	46,236,968
One-person households	2,286	346,124	37,140,836
Male householder	984	158,618	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	289	50,989	5,225,110
Female householder	1,302	187,506	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	649	95,927	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	205	51,703	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

9,052

housing units

Clay County 9,052

Mississippi 1,341,114

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

86.2% occupied

Occupied 86.2%

Vacant 13.8%

vacancy rate

Clay County 13.8%

Mississippi 14.6%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

69.5%

Single family houses

69.5%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

11.9%

Mobile homes

18.3%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.2%

Median Year Built

1982

Half of houses were built before 1982, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

6.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

22%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

50.5%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

21.2%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Clay County	Mississippi	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.8	5.7	5.5
1–3 rooms	2.5%	9.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	63.9%	56.6%	51.6%
7+ rooms	33.7%	34%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.2%	1.6%	2.9%
1 bedroom	2.2%	6.1%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	20.2%	20.8%	25%
3 bedrooms	56.3%	51.6%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	21.2%	19.9%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1982	1987	1981
Total housing units	9,052	1,341,114	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

71.3% owners

Renter-occupied 28.7%

Owner-occupied 71.3%

homeownership rate

Clay County 71.3%

Mississippi 70%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.33

Owner-occupied

2.29

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Clay County 2.33

Mississippi 2.55

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Clay County	Mississippi	United States
Total occupied units	7,805	1,145,431	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	13.6%	21.6%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	42.6%	37.9%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	15.6%	17.6%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	28.2%	22.9%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.2%	97.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.7%	1.6%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.1%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	6.8%	6.3%	8.4%
1 vehicle	31.5%	32.1%	33.1%
2 vehicles	33.8%	36.1%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	27.9%	25.4%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	40.5%	39.2%	51.4%
Electricity	57.5%	58.9%	41.3%
Solar	0.7%	0%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.1%	3.9%
All other fuels	1.1%	1%	2%
No fuel used	0.2%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.5%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.1%	0.7%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.9%	1.2%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$129,100

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Clay County

$129,100

Mississippi

$169,800

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

33.3%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

33.3%

Owners without a mortgage

12.4%

Renters

52.7%

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 County	Mississippi	United States
Property value
Median Value	$129,100	$169,800	$332,700
Under $100,000	42.7%	29.9%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	22.1%	27.9%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	19.2%	20.3%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	9.9%	16.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	4.6%	4.6%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	1.4%	0.9%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	43.1%	49.4%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	56.9%	50.6%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,180	$1,394	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$437	$432	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$817	$954	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

17.3%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Clay County 17.3%

Mississippi 25.1%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

17.2%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Clay County 17.2%

Mississippi 12.8%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

4,009

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

7.2%

K–12

72%

College / Undergraduate

15.8%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

30.6%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Clay County

30.6%

Mississippi

39.5%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Clay County	Mississippi	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	4,009	726,919	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	7.2%	5.9%	5.7%
K–12	72%	69.3%	67.6%
Kindergarten	4.9%	5%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.5%	20.8%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	23.1%	21.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	20.5%	21.8%	21.7%
College or graduate school	20.8%	24.8%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	15.8%	19.9%	21%
Graduate, professional school	5%	4.9%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	30.6%	39.5%	40.9%
School type
Public school	84.9%	83.5%	82%
Private school	15.1%	16.5%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

12,587

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

5.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

11.6%

HS graduate

33.9%

Some college no degree

18.8%

Associates degree

12.8%

Bachelors degree

10.5%

Graduate or professional degree

6.8%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

39.8% · 60.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

50.7% · 49.3%

HS graduate

52.2% · 47.8%

Some college no degree

51.2% · 48.8%

Associates degree

30.8% · 69.2%

Bachelors degree

44.8% · 55.2%

Graduate or professional degree

25.2% · 74.8%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Clay County	Mississippi	United States
Population (25+)	12,587	1,972,266	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	5.6%	4.3%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	11.6%	8.5%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	33.9%	29.9%	26%
Some college, no degree	18.8%	21.2%	19.1%
Associate's degree	12.8%	10.9%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.3%	25.1%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	10.5%	15.3%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	6.8%	9.9%	14.1%
High School or higher	82.8%	87.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$35,132

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$26,161

HS graduate

$36,132

Some college or associates

$33,455

Bachelors degree

$46,129

Graduate or professional degree

$48,571

Poverty Rate

6.1%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

32.8%

HS graduate

18%

Some college or associates

17.6%

Bachelors degree or higher

6.1%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Clay County	Mississippi	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$35,132	$42,912	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$26,161	$29,259	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$36,132	$35,321	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$33,455	$40,529	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$46,129	$53,681	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$48,571	$65,353	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	32.8%	32.8%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	18%	20%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	17.6%	13.2%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	6.1%	5.7%	4.5%

Insights for Clay County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

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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