Hayesville, NC

Town in Clay County, NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

1,208

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

Median Age

35.8

years ∙ half population younger than 35.8, half older

Diversity Index

14.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

0.9%

foreign-born population

99.1%Native

0.9% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Hayesville is a town within Clay County, North Carolina, United States.

Location

Town in Clay County, NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC35.045018° N, 83.817935° W

DMS35° 02′ 42.06″ N, 83° 49′ 04.57″ W

Population Density & area

1,899/sq mi (733.5/km²)

Total Area

0.636 sq mi (1.647 km²)

Land Area

0.636 sq mi (1.647 km²) · 100%

Water Area

0 sq mi (0 km²) · 0%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

46.6% male

Male 46.6%

Female 53.4%

males per 100 females

Hayesville 87.3

Clay County 99.3

North Carolina 95.6

Nativity

0.9%

foreign-born population

99.1%Native

0.9% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Hayesville 0.9%

Clay County 3.4%

North Carolina 9.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

35.8

years ∙ half population younger than 35.8, half older

Hayesville

35.8

Clay County

North Carolina

39.1

Dependency ratio

136.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Hayesville 136.4

Clay County 95.5

North Carolina 63.8

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Hayesville	Clay County	North Carolina
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	35.4%	16.1%	21.8%
Working age (18-64)	42.3%	51.1%	61%
Senior (65+)	22.3%	32.8%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	136.4	95.5	63.8
Child dependency ratio	83.8	31.4	35.6
Old-age dependency ratio	52.6	64.1	28.2

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

92.3%

Black

1.8%

Asian

Hispanic

1.1%

Other

4.8%

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

14.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Hayesville 14.5%

Clay County 18.4%

North Carolina 58.4%

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 Hayesville population

	Hayesville	Clay County	North Carolina
Hispanic or Latino	1.1%	4.1%	11.3%
Mexican	0.5%	2.6%	5.6%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.1%	1.3%
Cuban	0%	0.2%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.6%	1.3%	4.1%
Not Hispanic or Latino	98.9%	95.9%	88.7%
One race	94.1%	94.1%	84.6%
White	92.3%	90.2%	60%
Black or African American	1.8%	2.2%	20%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.4%	0.8%
Asian	0%	0.6%	3.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.1%
Some Other Race	0%	0.7%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	4.8%	1.8%	4.1%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

61.3% family

Family 61.3%

Non family 38.8%

% family households

Hayesville 61.3%

Clay County 58.5%

North Carolina 64.3%

Average household size

3.46

persons per household

Hayesville

3.46

Clay County

2.26

North Carolina

2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Hayesville population

	Hayesville	Clay County	North Carolina
Total households	320	5,081	4,282,345
Average houshold size	3.46	2.26	2.44
Family households	196	2,974	2,753,022
Average family size	3.8	2.86	3.03
Married couple family	143	2,512	2,021,951
Other families	53	462	731,071
Male householder	10	227	195,051
Female householder	43	235	536,020
Non-family households	124	2,107	1,529,323
One-person households	80	1,774	1,258,822
Male householder	36	910	544,050
Senior (65+) living alone	8	531	160,332
Female householder	44	864	714,772
Senior (65+) living alone	27	540	342,051
Other living arrangements	44	333	270,501

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

409

housing units

Hayesville 409

Clay County 7,497

North Carolina 4,895,668

Occupancy status

78.2% occupied

Occupied 78.2%

Vacant 21.8%

vacancy rate

Hayesville 21.8%

Clay County 32.2%

North Carolina 12.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

77%

Single family houses

77%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

19.3%

Mobile homes

3.7%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1972

Half of houses were built before 1972, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

15.4%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

26.6%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

42.8%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

15.2%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Hayesville	Clay County	North Carolina
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.5	5.7	5.6
1–3 rooms	8.2%	11.6%	11.4%
4–6 rooms	59.3%	54.7%	54.9%
7+ rooms	32.2%	33.8%	33.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.2%	3%	1.9%
1 bedroom	8.6%	5.8%	7.1%
2 bedrooms	32.5%	24.3%	23.8%
3 bedrooms	34.2%	48.4%	46.2%
4+ bedrooms	24.4%	18.5%	21%
At a glance
Median year built	1972	1989	1992
Total housing units	409	7,497	4,895,668

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

59.1% owners

Renter-occupied 40.9%

Owner-occupied 59.1%

homeownership rate

Hayesville 59.1%

Clay County 81.2%

North Carolina 66.6%

Average household size

3.71

Owner-occupied

3.1

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Hayesville 3.71

Clay County 2.32

North Carolina 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Hayesville	Clay County	North Carolina
Total occupied units	320	5,081	4,282,345
Year moved in
2020 or later	27.5%	21.5%	26.2%
2010 to 2019	45%	33.7%	39.2%
2000 to 2009	17.8%	21.6%	16.2%
1999 or earlier	9.7%	23.2%	18.5%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	89.4%	99.1%	97.8%
1.01 to 1.50	10.6%	0.9%	1.5%
1.51 or more	0%	0%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	6.3%	6.4%	5.3%
1 vehicle	29.7%	26.5%	31.4%
2 vehicles	46.9%	39.1%	38%
3 or more vehicles	17.2%	28%	25.2%
House heating fuel used
Gas	30.6%	32.9%	30.5%
Electricity	65.6%	60.7%	65.5%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.9%	2.6%	2%
All other fuels	2.8%	3.8%	1.3%
No fuel used	0%	0%	0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.6%	0.3%	0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.6%	3.5%	0.6%
No telephone service available	0%	4%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$254,700

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Hayesville

$254,700

Clay County

$278,400

North Carolina

$288,900

Housing Cost Burden

31%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

31%

Owners without a mortgage

19.6%

Renters

33.3%

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

	Hayesville	Clay County	North Carolina
Property value
Median Value	$254,700	$278,400	$288,900
Under $100,000	14.3%	12%	12.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	13.8%	20%	18.9%
$200,000 - $300,000	39.7%	21.9%	20.5%
$300,000 - $500,000	32.3%	23.4%	28.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	0%	20.4%	16.3%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	2.2%	3.3%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	46%	44.8%	61.3%
Without a mortgage	54%	55.2%	38.7%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,289	$1,476	$1,631
Without a mortgage	$542	$458	$490
Gross rent
Median rent	$499	$804	$1,228

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

19.3%

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

Hayesville 19.3%

Clay County 31.8%

North Carolina 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

16.3%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Hayesville 16.3%

Clay County 7.5%

North Carolina 9.9%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

319

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

K–12

98.4%

College / Undergraduate

1.6%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

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

Hayesville

Clay County

40%

North Carolina

39.3%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Hayesville	Clay County	North Carolina
Total enrolled (age 3+)	319	1,844	2,530,102
Nursery / preschool	0%	6.2%	5.3%
K–12	98.4%	67.4%	67.4%
Kindergarten	11%	10.2%	4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	18.2%	18.4%	20%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	58.6%	21.1%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	10.7%	17.6%	21.5%
College or graduate school	1.6%	26.4%	27.3%
College, undergraduate	1.6%	25.8%	21.7%
Graduate, professional school	0%	0.6%	5.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	0%	40%	39.3%
School type
Public school	96.2%	86.7%	82.3%
Private school	3.8%	13.3%	17.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

684

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

13.5%

HS graduate

24.6%

Some college no degree

22.4%

Associates degree

17.5%

Bachelors degree

13.2%

Graduate or professional degree

6.1%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

57.9% · 42.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

31.5% · 68.5%

HS graduate

38.7% · 61.3%

Some college no degree

30.1% · 69.9%

Associates degree

25% · 75%

Bachelors degree

41.1% · 58.9%

Graduate or professional degree

40.5% · 59.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Hayesville	Clay County	North Carolina
Population (25+)	684	9,027	7,380,330
Less than 9th grade	2.8%	3%	3.9%
9th–12th, no diploma	13.5%	4.5%	6%
High school diploma or GED	24.6%	23.9%	24.8%
Some college, no degree	22.4%	22.7%	19.6%
Associate's degree	17.5%	14%	10.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.3%	31.8%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	13.2%	21.9%	22.2%
Graduate or professional	6.1%	9.8%	13.5%
High School or higher	83.8%	92.5%	90.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$35,729

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$31,250

Some college or associates

$—

Bachelors degree

$49,286

Graduate or professional degree

$64,667

Poverty Rate

14.2%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

36.6%

HS graduate

27.8%

Some college or associates

30.7%

Bachelors degree or higher

14.2%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Hayesville	Clay County	North Carolina
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$35,729	$41,490	$49,275
Less than high school graduate	$—	$—	$31,234
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$31,250	$39,600	$37,346
Some college or associate's degree	$—	$37,834	$43,525
Bachelor's degree	$49,286	$53,640	$64,395
Graduate or professional degree	$64,667	$63,270	$80,986
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	36.6%	26%	26.6%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	27.8%	9.4%	15.2%
Some college or associate's degree	30.7%	18.6%	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.2%	6.3%	4.2%

Insights for Hayesville, 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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