Clay County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Clay County, Illinois had an estimated 12,821 residents on July 1, 2024, down 3.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 13,289, across 468 square miles. County output reached $699.4 m in 2024, 322 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $1.2 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 2020-202413,052
- Households5,311
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$60,417
- Median age40.4
- Median gross rent$735 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$97,400
- Home value to household income1.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over9,011
- Population under 183,111
- Share under 1823.8 percent
- Population 65 and over2,727
- Share 65 and over20.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,214
- Civilian labor force5,869
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.0 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties80th of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2281st of 3,222
Clay County is the 80th largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 1.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.8 percent against 20.9 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, 202412,821
- Census 2020 base population13,289
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.52 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-124
- Births, 2024133
- Deaths, 2024195
- Natural change, 2024-62
- Net domestic migration, 2024-63
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 2024-62
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-279
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2824th of 3,144
The county has lost 3.52 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
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 arriving232
- People arriving, from those returns429
- Tax returns filed by households leaving261
- Net household movement-29
- Adjusted gross income arriving$9.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$40,668
- Average income of a leaving household$42,157
- Largest single originWayne County (31 households)
- Largest single destinationEffingham County (28 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 31 | 54 | $1.2 m |
| Effingham County | 26 | 59 | $1.1 m |
| Richland County | 24 | 48 | $940,000 |
Households arriving report $1,489 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Wayne 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$699.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$713.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-2.0 percent
- GDP change over five years25.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Illinois areas BEA publishes75th of 102
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2140th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$53,584
Output grew -2.0 percent in the latest year and 25.0 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 average4,625
- Establishments reporting314
- Average annual pay$50,797
- Average weekly wage$977
- Manufacturing, employment1,531
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$63,765
- Retail trade, employment538
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,308
- Health care and social assistance, employment302
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$37,652
- Accommodation and food services, employment213
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,666
- Wholesale trade, employment163
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment148
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,531 | 18 | $63,765 |
| Retail trade | 538 | 44 | $31,308 |
| Health care and social assistance | 302 | 27 | $37,652 |
| Accommodation and food services | 213 | 21 | $19,666 |
| Wholesale trade | 163 | 14 | $62,909 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 148 | 20 | $38,691 |
| Finance and insurance | 113 | 19 | $54,561 |
| Information | 106 | 5 | $72,549 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,531 jobs, 33.1 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 industries322
- Employment at those establishments4,623
- Annual payroll$253.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.7
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, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$300,000
- Single family units authorized3
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$100,000
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.6
Single-family homes are 100.0 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 recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$611,500
- Median 7(a) approval$611,500
- Largest single approval$723,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)12
- Jobs per approval6.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term192 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer50.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 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 recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
- Status: Cancelled1
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
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 lending2
- Louisville, approvals1
- Flora, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville | 1 | $723,000 |
| Flora | 1 | $500,000 |
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 area468 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties59th of 102
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south21.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land28
- Establishments per square mile0.69
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 areasNot participating, community 170898
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate40.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Clay County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Clay County (community 170898), does not participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Clay County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 40.0 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 2020-202413,052
- Households5,311
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$60,417
- Median age40.4
Common questions
Clay County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clay County, Illinois?
The Census Bureau estimates 12,821 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 13,052, in 5,311 households, ranking 80th of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Clay County's population growing?
The population has fallen 3.52 percent since the 2020 census base of 13,289, to 12,821 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 133 births against 195 deaths, with net migration of -62. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clay County?
$60,417. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $97,400, which is 1.6 times income, and median gross rent is $735 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Clay County?
322 establishments, employing 4,623 people with an annual payroll of $253.8 m. 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?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,531 jobs, 33.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,625 jobs at an average annual pay of $50,797, or $977 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?
2 7(a) approvals totaling $1.2 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $611,500. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Clay County?
3 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $300,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Clay County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 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 Wayne County, with 31 households. Arriving households report an average income of $40,668 against $42,157 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.
6 Census places lie wholly or partly in Clay County. All 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flora | city | 4,475 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Louisville | village | 1,163 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Clay City | village | 723 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Xenia | village | 389 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Iola | village | 90 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sailor Springs | village | 60 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby