Clay County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Clay County, Tennessee had an estimated 7,857 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 7,585, across 237 square miles. County output reached $329.9 m in 2024, 108 establishments operate here.
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 2020-20247,670
- Households3,486
- Average household size2.20
- Median household income$39,972
- Median age48.5
- Median gross rent$557 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$136,400
- Home value to household income3.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher11.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over5,692
- Population under 181,443
- Share under 1818.8 percent
- Population 65 and over1,914
- Share 65 and over25.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,313
- Civilian labor force2,926
- Unemployment rate10.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over47.0 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties90th of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2675th of 3,222
Clay County is the 90th largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 3.4 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.0 percent against 18.8 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Clay County
Is Clay County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20247,857
- Census 2020 base population7,585
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.59 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024185
- Births, 202472
- Deaths, 2024119
- Natural change, 2024-47
- Net domestic migration, 2024217
- Net international migration, 202415
- Total net migration, 2024232
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024511
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents756th of 3,144
The county has grown 3.59 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
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 arriving172
- People arriving, from those returns335
- Tax returns filed by households leaving173
- Net household movement-1
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-381,000
- Average income of an arriving household$43,651
- Average income of a leaving household$45,601
- Largest single originOverton County (27 households)
- Largest single destinationPutnam County (32 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overton County | 27 | 55 | $998,000 |
Households arriving report $1,950 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Overton 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$329.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$261.0 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202426.4 percent
- GDP change over five years80.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Tennessee areas BEA publishes87th of 95
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2655th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$43,011
Output grew 26.4 percent in the latest year and 80.4 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 average1,388
- Establishments reporting162
- Average annual pay$38,261
- Average weekly wage$736
- Manufacturing, employment223
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$43,300
- Retail trade, employment174
- Retail trade, average annual pay$24,895
- Accommodation and food services, employment131
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$17,140
- Health care and social assistance, employment95
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$37,496
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment89
- Transportation and warehousing, employment41
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 223 | 10 | $43,300 |
| Retail trade | 174 | 30 | $24,895 |
| Accommodation and food services | 131 | 14 | $17,140 |
| Health care and social assistance | 95 | 27 | $37,496 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 89 | 4 | $26,528 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 41 | 8 | $45,924 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 31 | 11 | $54,428 |
| Finance and insurance | 25 | 5 | $42,770 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 223 jobs, 16.1 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 industries108
- Employment at those establishments966
- Annual payroll$33.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.1
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, 202425
- Declared construction value permitted$3.8 m
- Single family units authorized25
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$153,420
- Units authorized per 1,000 households7.2
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
How large is Clay County?
- Land area237 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties84th of 95
- Width, east to west29.9 mi
- Height, north to south15.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land32
- Establishments per square mile0.46
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 470382
- 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 470382), 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 2020-20247,670
- Households3,486
- Average household size2.20
- Median household income$39,972
- Median age48.5
Common questions
Clay County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clay County, Tennessee?
The Census Bureau estimates 7,857 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 7,670, in 3,486 households, ranking 90th of 95 Tennessee 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 3.59 percent since the 2020 census base of 7,585, to 7,857 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 72 births against 119 deaths, with net migration of 232. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clay County?
$39,972. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $136,400, which is 3.4 times income, and median gross rent is $557 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Clay County?
108 establishments, employing 966 people with an annual payroll of $33.5 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 223 jobs, 16.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,388 jobs at an average annual pay of $38,261, or $736 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How many building permits were issued in Clay County?
25 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.8 m. 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 Overton County, with 27 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,651 against $45,601 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.
1 Census place lies wholly or partly in Clay County. It carries enough published place level data for a page of its own and is linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celina | city | 1,941 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |