Clay County, Florida: commercial real estate data.
Clay County, Florida had an estimated 236,760 residents on July 1, 2024, up 8.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 218,245, across 604 square miles. County output reached $9.13 bn in 2024, 4,455 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 192 7(a) approvals worth $107.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Clay County
How many people live in Clay County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024227,584
- Households83,707
- Average household size2.72
- Median household income$87,820
- Median age40.4
- Median gross rent$1,551 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$312,500
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over158,246
- Population under 1851,999
- Share under 1822.8 percent
- Population 65 and over39,006
- Share 65 and over17.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64136,579
- Civilian labor force112,596
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.1 percent
- Rank by population among Florida counties25th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included314th of 3,222
Clay County is the 25th largest of 67 Florida counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.8 percent against 17.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Clay County
Is Clay County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024236,760
- Census 2020 base population218,245
- Population change since the 2020 census base8.48 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20244,026
- Births, 20242,270
- Deaths, 20242,200
- Natural change, 202470
- Net domestic migration, 20243,459
- Net international migration, 2024529
- Total net migration, 20243,988
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202416,893
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents210th of 3,144
The county has grown 8.48 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Clay County
Where are people moving to Clay County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving10,294
- People arriving, from those returns20,459
- Tax returns filed by households leaving8,059
- Net household movement2,235
- Adjusted gross income arriving$746.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$237.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$72,507
- Average income of a leaving household$63,105
- Largest single originDuval County (3,428 households)
- Largest single destinationDuval County (2,885 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duval County | 3,428 | 6,655 | $185.7 m |
| St. Johns County | 424 | 844 | $34.2 m |
| Alachua County | 173 | 284 | $12.1 m |
| Putnam County | 171 | 358 | $7.2 m |
| Broward County | 146 | 294 | $14.1 m |
| Miami-Dade County | 135 | 235 | $9.3 m |
| Orange County | 112 | 203 | $5.3 m |
| Bradford County | 106 | 234 | $5.3 m |
Households arriving report $9,402 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Duval County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Clay County
What is the Clay County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$9.13 bn
- County GDP, 2023$8.37 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.1 percent
- GDP change over five years54.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Florida areas BEA publishes30th of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes478th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$40,095
Output grew 9.1 percent in the latest year and 54.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Clay County
Employment by industry in Clay County
- Covered employment, annual average57,413
- Establishments reporting5,454
- Average annual pay$54,688
- Average weekly wage$1,052
- Health care and social assistance, employment10,961
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$59,822
- Retail trade, employment8,787
- Retail trade, average annual pay$37,064
- Accommodation and food services, employment7,090
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$24,630
- Construction, employment4,554
- Construction, average annual pay$58,526
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment3,086
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment3,000
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 10,961 | 694 | $59,822 |
| Retail trade | 8,787 | 623 | $37,064 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,090 | 397 | $24,630 |
| Construction | 4,554 | 784 | $58,526 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 3,086 | 687 | $91,164 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 3,000 | 418 | $43,101 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,896 | 202 | $87,027 |
| Other services, except public administration | 1,734 | 401 | $44,839 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 10,961 jobs, 19.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Clay County
How many businesses are in Clay County?
- Establishments, all industries4,455
- Employment at those establishments48,303
- Annual payroll$2.21 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Clay County
Building permits in Clay County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,880
- Declared construction value permitted$536.3 m
- Single family units authorized1,863
- Multifamily units authorized17
- Multifamily share of units0.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$285,258
- Units authorized per 1,000 households22.5
Single-family homes are 99.1 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Clay County
SBA loans in Clay County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded192
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$107.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$562,015
- Median 7(a) approval$257,150
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,410,400
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,501
- Jobs per approval13.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active62
- Distinct industries receiving approvals98
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer24.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms46
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter129
- Franchise loans45
- Franchise share of approvals23.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (11)
- 504 approvals recorded93
- 504 gross approval dollars$64.9 m
- Average 504 approval$698,226
- Median 504 approval$362,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval11.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.8
- Most active CDCFlorida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (59)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$172.8 m
The average approval of $562,015 sits well above the median of $257,150, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 24.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Clay County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Clay County
Do SBA loans in Clay County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded32
- Paid in full30
- Charged off2
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans6.3 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure122
- Status: Paid in full30
- Status: Cancelled31
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed7
Of the 32 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Clay County
SBA lending by place in Clay County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending5
- Orange Park, approvals84
- Fleming Island, approvals40
- Green Cove Springs, approvals30
- Middleburg, approvals30
- Keystone Heights, approvals8
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Orange Park | 84 | $59,491,800 |
| Fleming Island | 40 | $15,742,400 |
| Green Cove Springs | 30 | $20,256,800 |
| Middleburg | 30 | $6,257,700 |
| Keystone Heights | 8 | $6,158,100 |
Orange Park accounts for 84 approvals against 40 in Fleming Island. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Clay County
How large is Clay County?
- Land area604 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Florida counties43rd of 67
- Width, east to west28.1 mi
- Height, north to south32.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land377
- Establishments per square mile7.38
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Clay County
Flood risk in Clay County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Clay County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 120064
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 6
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Clay County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Clay County (community 120064), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 6, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Clay County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Clay County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Clay County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024227,584
- Households83,707
- Average household size2.72
- Median household income$87,820
- Median age40.4
Common questions
Clay County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clay County, Florida?
The Census Bureau estimates 236,760 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 227,584, in 83,707 households, ranking 25th of 67 Florida counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Clay County's population growing?
The population has grown 8.48 percent since the 2020 census base of 218,245, to 236,760 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 2,270 births against 2,200 deaths, with net migration of 3,988. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clay County?
$87,820. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $312,500, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,551 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Clay County?
4,455 establishments, employing 48,303 people with an annual payroll of $2.21 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Clay County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 10,961 jobs, 19.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 57,413 jobs at an average annual pay of $54,688, or $1,052 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Clay County?
192 7(a) approvals totaling $107.9 m since FY2020, across 62 lenders, with a median approval of $257,150, plus 93 504 approvals worth $64.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Clay County get paid back?
Of the 32 loans that have reached a final outcome, 30 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge-off rate of 6.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Clay County?
1,880 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $536.3 m. Multifamily was 0.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Clay County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Clay County come from?
The largest single origin is Duval County, with 3,428 households. Arriving households report an average income of $72,507 against $63,105 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Clay County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Clay County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Clay County
Cities and places in Clay.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Clay County. All 10 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside | CDP | 32,105 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Oakleaf Plantation | CDP | 32,070 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fleming Island | CDP | 29,766 | 40 | Wholly in this county |
| Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace | CDP | 14,755 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Asbury Lake | CDP | 14,458 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Middleburg | CDP | 11,644 | 30 | Wholly in this county |
| Green Cove Springs | city | 10,044 | 30 | Wholly in this county |
| Orange Park | town | 9,055 | 84 | Wholly in this county |
| Keystone Heights | city | 1,576 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Penney Farms | town | 642 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby