Clay County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Clay County, Kentucky had an estimated 19,592 residents on July 1, 2024, down 3.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 20,336, across 469 square miles. County output reached $454.8 m in 2024, 229 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $600,000 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 2020-202419,921
- Households7,288
- Average household size2.73
- Median household income$40,900
- Median age40.2
- Median gross rent$724 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$90,700
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over14,446
- Population under 184,096
- Share under 1820.6 percent
- Population 65 and over3,180
- Share 65 and over16.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6412,645
- Civilian labor force6,947
- Unemployment rate9.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over43.9 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties59th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1883rd of 3,222
Clay County is the 59th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.6 percent against 16.0 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, 202419,592
- Census 2020 base population20,336
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.66 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-66
- Births, 2024228
- Deaths, 2024287
- Natural change, 2024-59
- Net domestic migration, 2024-15
- Net international migration, 20248
- Total net migration, 2024-7
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-311
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2845th of 3,144
The county has lost 3.66 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 arriving243
- People arriving, from those returns491
- Tax returns filed by households leaving329
- Net household movement-86
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-2.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$32,313
- Average income of a leaving household$31,514
- Largest single originLaurel County (82 households)
- Largest single destinationLaurel County (112 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel County | 82 | 178 | $2.4 m |
Households arriving report $799 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 Laurel 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$454.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$440.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.2 percent
- GDP change over five years17.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes80th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2463rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$22,829
Output grew 3.2 percent in the latest year and 17.8 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 average4,077
- Establishments reporting418
- Average annual pay$45,485
- Average weekly wage$875
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,060
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$51,109
- Retail trade, employment567
- Retail trade, average annual pay$26,253
- Manufacturing, employment193
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$28,981
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment112
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$48,084
- Construction, employment101
- Finance and insurance, employment91
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,060 | 104 | $51,109 |
| Retail trade | 567 | 66 | $26,253 |
| Manufacturing | 193 | 10 | $28,981 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 112 | 28 | $48,084 |
| Construction | 101 | 28 | $50,052 |
| Finance and insurance | 91 | 14 | $44,687 |
| Other services, except public administration | 70 | 51 | $35,747 |
| Wholesale trade | 55 | 8 | $42,102 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 1,060 jobs, 26.0 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 industries229
- Employment at those establishments2,642
- Annual payroll$100.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents11.5
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, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorized0
- Multifamily units authorized0
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Clay County
SBA loans in Clay County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$600,000
- Average 7(a) approval$150,000
- Median 7(a) approval$137,500
- Largest single approval$300,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)49
- Jobs per approval12.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- 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 disclosure3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
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
How large is Clay County?
- Land area469 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties15th of 120
- Width, east to west25.4 mi
- Height, north to south29 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land42
- Establishments per square mile0.49
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 210057
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 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 210057), participates 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. 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 2020-202419,921
- Households7,288
- Average household size2.73
- Median household income$40,900
- Median age40.2
Common questions
Clay County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clay County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 19,592 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 19,921, in 7,288 households, ranking 59th of 120 Kentucky 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 3.66 percent since the 2020 census base of 20,336, to 19,592 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 228 births against 287 deaths, with net migration of -7. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clay County?
$40,900. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $90,700, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $724 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Clay County?
229 establishments, employing 2,642 people with an annual payroll of $100.1 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?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 1,060 jobs, 26.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,077 jobs at an average annual pay of $45,485, or $875 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?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $600,000 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $137,500. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Clay County?
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. 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 Laurel County, with 82 households. Arriving households report an average income of $32,313 against $31,514 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.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Clay County. All 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | city | 1,541 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Oneida | CDP | 49 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby