Clay Township, MI

Township in St. Clair County, MI, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

8,357

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

Median Age

55.3

years ∙ half population younger than 55.3, half older

Diversity Index

9.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.9%

foreign-born population

97.1%Native

2.9% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Clay Township is a township in St. Clair County, Michigan, United States.

Location

Township in St. Clair County, MI, US

Co-ordinates

DEC42.610190° N, 82.622046° W

DMS42° 36′ 36.68″ N, 82° 37′ 19.37″ W

Population Density & area

235.4/sq mi (90.94/km²)

Total Area

82.2 sq mi (212.8 km²)

Land Area

35.5 sq mi (91.9 km²) · 43.2%

Water Area

46.7 sq mi (120.9 km²) · 56.8%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

54.3% male

Male 54.3%

Female 45.7%

males per 100 females

Clay Township 118.8

St. Clair County 100.3

Michigan 98.2

Nativity

2.9%

foreign-born population

97.1%Native

2.9% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Clay Township 2.9%

St. Clair County 2%

Michigan 7.2%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

55.3

years ∙ half population younger than 55.3, half older

Clay Township

55.3

St. Clair County

44.5

Michigan

40.2

Dependency ratio

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Clay Township 74

St. Clair County 68.5

Michigan 66.3

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Clay Township	St. Clair County	Michigan
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	13.5%	20.3%	21.2%
Working age (18-64)	57.5%	59.3%	60.2%
Senior (65+)	29%	20.4%	18.6%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	74	68.5	66.3
Child dependency ratio	23.5	34.2	35.3
Old-age dependency ratio	50.5	34.3	31

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

95.3%

Black

0.2%

Asian

0.4%

Hispanic

1.1%

Other

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

9.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Clay Township 9.1%

St. Clair County 19.2%

Michigan 45.2%

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 Township population

	Clay Township	St. Clair County	Michigan
Hispanic or Latino	1.1%	3.7%	5.9%
Mexican	0%	2.7%	4%
Puerto Rican	0.1%	0.3%	0.5%
Cuban	0.6%	0.2%	0.2%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.4%	0.5%	1.2%
Not Hispanic or Latino	98.9%	96.3%	94.1%
One race	96.1%	92.7%	89.6%
White	95.3%	89.7%	72.4%
Black or African American	0.2%	2.1%	13.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.1%	0.3%
Asian	0.4%	0.5%	3.4%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	0%	0.3%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.8%	3.6%	4.5%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63.2% family

Family 63.2%

Non family 36.8%

% family households

Clay Township 63.2%

St. Clair County 65.7%

Michigan 62.4%

Average household size

2.11

persons per household

Clay Township

2.11

St. Clair County

2.34

Michigan

2.42

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Clay Township population

	Clay Township	St. Clair County	Michigan
Total households	3,968	67,816	4,076,369
Average houshold size	2.11	2.34	2.42
Family households	2,508	44,528	2,545,621
Average family size	2.56	2.85	3.05
Married couple family	2,010	33,779	1,878,767
Other families	498	10,749	666,854
Male householder	191	3,473	199,150
Female householder	307	7,276	467,704
Non-family households	1,460	23,288	1,530,748
One-person households	1,138	19,112	1,250,418
Male householder	798	9,419	583,425
Senior (65+) living alone	309	3,685	188,594
Female householder	340	9,693	666,993
Senior (65+) living alone	211	5,463	349,637
Other living arrangements	322	4,176	280,330

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

5,177

housing units

Clay Township 5,177

St. Clair County 72,799

Michigan 4,622,236

Occupancy status

76.6% occupied

Occupied 76.6%

Vacant 23.4%

vacancy rate

Clay Township 23.4%

St. Clair County 6.8%

Michigan 11.8%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

91.4%

Single family houses

91.4%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

2.8%

Mobile homes

5.7%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1977

Half of houses were built before 1977, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

13.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

29%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

43.9%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

13.9%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Clay Township	St. Clair County	Michigan
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6	6	5.9
1–3 rooms	7.9%	7.1%	10.5%
4–6 rooms	51.7%	51.9%	51.9%
7+ rooms	40.4%	41%	37.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0%	1.3%	1.6%
1 bedroom	8.6%	6.2%	8.9%
2 bedrooms	23.8%	21.2%	24.6%
3 bedrooms	47.3%	50.2%	43.5%
4+ bedrooms	20.3%	21.1%	21.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1977	1975	1972
Total housing units	5,177	72,799	4,622,236

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

93.8% owners

Renter-occupied 6.3%

Owner-occupied 93.8%

homeownership rate

Clay Township 93.8%

St. Clair County 80.8%

Michigan 73.2%

Average household size

2.14

Owner-occupied

1.54

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Clay Township 2.14

St. Clair County 2.41

Michigan 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Clay Township	St. Clair County	Michigan
Total occupied units	3,968	67,816	4,076,369
Year moved in
2020 or later	19.9%	19%	21%
2010 to 2019	35.2%	37.7%	39.5%
2000 to 2009	11.1%	17.1%	16%
1999 or earlier	33.8%	26.2%	23.4%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.4%	98.9%	98.4%
1.01 to 1.50	0.6%	0.8%	1.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.3%	0.4%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	3.1%	5.9%	7%
1 vehicle	30.5%	30.4%	34.8%
2 vehicles	38.4%	38.7%	38.3%
3 or more vehicles	27.9%	25%	19.8%
House heating fuel used
Gas	93.4%	85.9%	83.6%
Electricity	3.7%	9%	12.1%
Solar	0.2%	0.1%	0%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.3%	0.9%	0.8%
All other fuels	2.5%	3.5%	3%
No fuel used	0%	0.7%	0.5%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.5%	0.5%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.8%	0.7%	0.7%
No telephone service available	0.5%	0.9%	0.7%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$307,600

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Clay Township

$307,600

St. Clair County

$224,600

Michigan

$231,600

Housing Cost Burden

31.1%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

31.1%

Owners without a mortgage

13.5%

Renters

46.3%

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 Township	St. Clair County	Michigan
Property value
Median Value	$307,600	$224,600	$231,600
Under $100,000	9.6%	13.6%	16.8%
$100,000 - $200,000	14.9%	28.9%	24.7%
$200,000 - $300,000	23.9%	26.2%	23.4%
$300,000 - $500,000	38%	24.7%	24.1%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	12.5%	5.8%	9.2%
$1,000,000 and more	1.1%	0.7%	1.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	54.1%	57.3%	57.8%
Without a mortgage	45.9%	42.7%	42.2%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,661	$1,469	$1,569
Without a mortgage	$674	$600	$602
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,005	$1,029	$1,129

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

20.4%

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

Clay Township 20.4%

St. Clair County 20.3%

Michigan 32.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

5.5%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Clay Township 5.5%

St. Clair County 7.9%

Michigan 8%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

960

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

12.1%

K–12

62.8%

College / Undergraduate

21.9%

Graduate / Professional

3.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

18.8%

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

Clay Township

18.8%

St. Clair County

22.9%

Michigan

41.1%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Clay Township	St. Clair County	Michigan
Total enrolled (age 3+)	960	31,184	2,312,914
Nursery / preschool	12.1%	5.9%	5.6%
K–12	62.8%	77.6%	67.9%
Kindergarten	4.6%	5.1%	5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	13.9%	21.6%	19.7%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	23.6%	25.1%	20.8%
High School: Grades 9–12	20.7%	25.8%	22.2%
College or graduate school	25.1%	16.5%	26.5%
College, undergraduate	21.9%	14.7%	21.1%
Graduate, professional school	3.2%	1.8%	5.4%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	18.8%	22.9%	41.1%
School type
Public school	77%	86.3%	85.2%
Private school	23%	13.7%	14.8%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

6,716

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

0.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.9%

HS graduate

30.1%

Some college no degree

29.2%

Associates degree

14.8%

Bachelors degree

12.4%

Graduate or professional degree

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

40.5% · 59.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

45.2% · 54.8%

HS graduate

51.9% · 48.1%

Some college no degree

62.9% · 37.1%

Associates degree

41.5% · 58.5%

Bachelors degree

64.9% · 35.1%

Graduate or professional degree

50.2% · 49.8%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Clay Township	St. Clair County	Michigan
Population (25+)	6,716	115,640	7,008,507
Less than 9th grade	0.6%	1.9%	2.6%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.9%	6%	5.4%
High school diploma or GED	30.1%	33%	28%
Some college, no degree	29.2%	26%	21.9%
Associate's degree	14.8%	12.7%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.4%	20.3%	32.4%
Bachelor's degree	12.4%	12.8%	19.7%
Graduate or professional	8%	7.5%	12.7%
High School or higher	94.5%	92%	92.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$59,187

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$46,639

Some college or associates

$63,178

Bachelors degree

$88,250

Graduate or professional degree

$74,926

Poverty Rate

3.4%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

22.2%

HS graduate

11%

Some college or associates

9.1%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.4%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Clay Township	St. Clair County	Michigan
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$59,187	$47,476	$50,316
Less than high school graduate	$—	$30,677	$31,851
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$46,639	$39,059	$37,777
Some college or associate's degree	$63,178	$47,458	$44,844
Bachelor's degree	$88,250	$62,466	$66,893
Graduate or professional degree	$74,926	$73,851	$85,195
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	22.2%	20.7%	27.4%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	11%	12.7%	15.2%
Some college or associate's degree	9.1%	8.6%	10.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.4%	3.1%	4.2%

Insights for Clay Township, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

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