Clay-Drug-Store-ky, 2018
Clay’s story
189 years in pictures
Census counts: 170 in 1870, a peak of 1,551 in 1930, 1,031 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1909 on.
- 1837Clay is settled
ClayKY
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
1,004
2025 Census estimate · −2% since 2020
Typical home
$133K
+9.8% in a year
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
36.0
years
Jobs based here
246
A commuter town
Is Clay a good place to live?
The best of Clay’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D for health. Clay’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, above both the Kentucky town median (22 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). On cost of living, just 22 of Kentucky’s 238 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 86% of U.S. towns. Clay's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 83% of U.S. towns. Clay has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Clay stand out
Where Clay beats most towns.
Small town
1,004 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Clay grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Clay is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →HealthMethodist Hospital Union County 12.4 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.6 of 20; 8.7% of households have no car; 0.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & income$61K median household incomeC−Open →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksCOpen →HistoryC+Open →Civic life3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.0; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Clay: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clay, and how to reach them.
PowerKU11.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterClay Water Works1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Clay’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Kentucky you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWebster County ClerkWebster County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code4240442404 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Clay.
HealthD
Clay is less healthy than 90% of U.S. towns
Clay beats the Kentucky average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 23% of Clay adults smoke cigarettes, above both Kentucky’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (14%). 43% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Clay.
11%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Clay | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 40% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
31 measures vs. Kentucky
0 better24 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Clay | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 7.2% | 5.4% |
| More smokers | 22.9% | 18.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.4% | 10.2% |
Methodist Hospital Union County
12.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Clay’s schools rank ahead of 57% of Kentucky districts
Its public schools are run by the Webster County school district. Its one school is below.
57%of KY districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 194 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A
The typical home in Clay is valued at about $133K
The typical Clay home is worth about $133,000, up 9.8% in a year, 42% below the Kentucky typical home. Clay’s median rent is $772 a month.
$133KZillow home value
| Clay | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $772 a month | $934 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 59% | 73% |
Typical home value
Clay$133K
Kentucky$231K
+9.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Clay, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 82% of U.S. communities.
82risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesStrong wind
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most of Clay’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Clay for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Clay grew to 246 in 2023, 23 more than in 2013. 9.6% of Clay residents live below the poverty line.
7%work in town
| Clay | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 7.3% | 15% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.6% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Clay7%
Madisonville11%
Dixon9%
Henderson6%
Providence4%
20 mi
median commute distance
246
jobs based in Clay
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 14% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Clay, expect four seasons and hot summers
Clay has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Clay is 89°F.
12″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–46°
Spring47–68°
Summer67–87°
Fall48–70°
Oct 28
typical first frost
Apr 7
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Clay
2 crimes were reported in Clay in 2025: 2 property and 0 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Clay is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
2
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Who lives here
More young adults than Kentucky overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 27% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 13% of residents (17% statewide). Clay has lost 2% of its people since 2020, down to 1,004 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 19% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 28% across Kentucky.
36median age · KY 39.1
| Clay | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 19% | 26% | 29% |
| Median age | 36 years | 37.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 22% | 22% |
ClayKentuckyUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school40%
Some college16%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s6%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.8 points. Across Kentucky, 50.5% of residents are women.
| Clay | KY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.6% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 18.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.7% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.5% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.6% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.4% | 11.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.9% | 32.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.4% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.7% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 6.3% | 16.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.3% | 11.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Clay
18pages on Clay
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 57% of KY districts · 1 schoolSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than KY on 0 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingA$133K typical home · up 9.8% in a yearWork & commuteC−$61K median household income · 246 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 82% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Clay; the nearest are
Madisonville Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Madisonville18.6 mi$4,728 in-state tuitionUniversity of Southern IndianaUniversity or college · Public · Evansville, IN34.5 mi$10,066 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Clay residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kentucky.
A shrinking town
Clay has shrunk 14% since 2010
1,181 counted in 2010 and 1,031 in 2020; an estimated 1,004 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About Clay
City in Kentucky, United States
Clay is a home rule-class city in Webster County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 1,031 at the 2020 census. Settled in 1837, the city is named for the statesman Henry Clay. In 2022, it became a wet city after a petition put the measure on the ballot.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1837
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 381 ft
- ZIP code
- 42404
- Area code
- 270
Questions about Clay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Clay, KY expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.