Demographics of Clay County, West Virginia

Clay County, West Virginia had 7,538 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: −471 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Clay County, in four figures

7,538
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; −5.9%
Change since July 2020: −471 people.; 45.4 ±0.6
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $42,318 ±$10,911
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Clay County, West Virginia's population shrank 5.9% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Clay County, West Virginia's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Clay County, West Virginia's population shrank 5.9% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Clay County, West Virginia's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	8,009	100.0	100.0
2021	7,914	98.8	100.2
2022	7,817	97.6	100.7
2023	7,758	96.9	101.6
2024	7,693	96.1	102.5
2025	7,538	94.1	103.1

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Population of Clay County, West Virginia on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	8,009	−42	−12	0	−28
2021	7,914	−95	−46	0	−51
2022	7,817	−97	−90	0	−3
2023	7,758	−59	−56	0	−1
2024	7,693	−65	−81	−1	+16
2025	7,538	−155	−87	−3	−64

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 45.4 ±0.6: for men 44.8 ±1.5 and for women 45.6 ±0.9. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Clay County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	West Virginia	United States
Under 5	382 ±25	4.9% ±0.3	5.0% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	1,326 ±169	16.9% ±2.2	15.1% ±0.2	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	726 ±225	9.3% ±2.9	8.8% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	1,457 ±238	18.6% ±3.0	23.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	2,186 ±210	27.9% ±2.7	26.2% ±0.2	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	1,758 ±234	22.4% ±3.0	21.0% ±0.2	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $42,318 ±$10,911, and income per person $24,781 ±$2,704, in 2024 dollars. The median is $59,608 ±$691 in West Virginia and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in Clay County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	West Virginia	United States
Under $25,000	1,000 ±234	33.6% ±7.6	21.1% ±0.4	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	573 ±154	19.3% ±5.0	21.6% ±0.4	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	618 ±135	20.8% ±4.3	17.3% ±0.4	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	329 ±109	11.1% ±3.6	12.7% ±0.4	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	282 ±105	9.5% ±3.5	15.1% ±0.4	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	23 to 149	0.8% to 5.0%	6.3% ±0.2	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	9 to 159	0.3% to 5.3%	5.9% ±0.2	13.4% ±0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in Clay County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	West Virginia	United States
All ages	2,055 ±558	26.4% ±7.2	16.7% ±0.4	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	712 ±238	41.9% ±11.8	21.5% ±0.7	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	971 ±313	26.5% ±7.9	17.0% ±0.4	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	372 ±156	15.4% ±6.2	12.8% ±0.4	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Clay County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Clay County	West Virginia	United States
Housing units	3,961 ±13	861,325 ±394	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	75.0% ±4.8	84.6% ±0.4	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	25.0% ±4.8	15.4% ±0.4	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	76.0% ±3.9	74.9% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	24.0% ±6.4	25.1% ±0.3	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$109,100 ±$17,906	$162,600 ±$1,346	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$651 ±$80	$872 ±$8	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1985 ±3	1976 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in Clay County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	West Virginia	United States
Hispanic or Latino	0 to 45	0% to 0.6%	2.1% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	7,583 ±18	96.8% ±0.2	89.7% ±0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	0 to 9	0% to 0.1%	3.1% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0 to 18	0% to 0.2%	0.8% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0 to 13	0% to 0.2%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 18	0% to 0.2%	< 0.1%	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 18	0% to 0.2%	0.3% ±0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	226 ±33	2.9% ±0.4	3.9% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in Clay County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	West Virginia	United States
Born in the state	6,066 ±330	77.4% ±4.2	67.4% ±0.3	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	1,767 ±329	22.6% ±4.2	30.2% ±0.3	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	0 to 18	0% to 0.2%	0.5% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	0 to 6	0% to 0.1%	1.8% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	0 to 6	0% to 0.1%	1.0% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	0 to 18	0% to 0.2%	0.8% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Clay County among the counties of West Virginia

49th of 55 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the West Virginia page.

Counties of West Virginia near Clay County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Ritchie County	8,034	−4.6%
Tyler County	7,881	−5.0%
Webster County	7,760	−7.1%
Doddridge County	7,634	−1.9%
Pocahontas County	7,602	−3.3%
Clay County	7,538	−5.9%
Pleasants County	7,338	−4.1%
Gilmer County	7,085	−4.2%
Tucker County	6,540	−3.2%
Calhoun County	5,978	−3.6%
Pendleton County	5,826	−4.9%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026