Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,174, settled in 1883.
Clay City’s best subject grade is an A for safety; its weakest is a D− for health. 40% of residents live below the poverty line in Clay City, above both Kentucky’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On health, just 12 of Kentucky’s 237 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. On civic life, just 6 of Kentucky’s 204 towns do worse. Clay City National Bank Building and Cane Springs Primitive Baptist Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Clay City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Clay City beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Clay City | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 10% | 5.4% |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Clay City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,065 in 1890, a low of 528 in 1930, 1,193 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 2 maps from 1952 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clay City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Clay City.
33% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Clay City, against 23% in Kentucky’s towns and 19% across U.S. towns. 22% of Clay City adults report frequent physical distress. Among 142 Kentucky towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Clay City.
| Clay City | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 27% | 25% |
| What stands out | Clay City | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 10% | 5.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 33.4% | 18.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 16.4% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Powell County school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay City Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 425 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
Clay City’s property crime rate is 3.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Clay City | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 91% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 74 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clay City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Clay City home is worth about $131,000, down 11.4% in a year, 43% below the Kentucky typical home. 41% of households own their home in Clay City.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The median household income in Clay City is $24,000. Since 2013, Clay City has added 87 jobs, to 260 in 2023. Most working residents leave Clay City for work: only 4% work in town.
| Clay City | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $24,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 15% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Clay City has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 26° and about 6 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Clay City. Close and well known come first.
18 mi Canyon & gorgeRed River Gorge
33 mi Stadium & arenaKroger Field
34 mi Stadium & arenaRupp Arena
40 mi National forestDaniel Boone National Forest2.5M visitors a year
19 mi State parkFort Boonesborough State Park
14 mi State parkNatural Bridge State Resort ParkRed River Gorge: Robert G. Davis, NWSRS, Public domain · Kroger Field: Navin75, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Rupp Arena: The original uploader was Analogue Kid at English Wikipedia., CC BY 2.5 · Daniel Boone National Forest: Schwaltz, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Boonesborough State Park: Bubba73, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Natural Bridge State Resort Park: Ken Thomas, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Clay City; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Clay City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
1,077 counted in 2010 and 1,193 in 2020; an estimated 1,174 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
3 notable people were born in Clay City.
City in Kentucky, United States
Clay City is a home rule-class city in Powell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,193 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 3.2 years of the area's median household income ($40,309 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
3 notable people were born here, including Robert D. Webb and Millard Webb.
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