Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a lower median rent than Clay Center. Clay Center’s trail density is 2.3 miles per square mile, above both Nebraska’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). Its National Register listings include Clay County Courthouse and Clay Center Library and Gymnasium. Clay Center has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Clay Center beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 68 in 1880, a peak of 1,065 in 1910, 735 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1898 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clay Center, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Clay Center.
The typical Clay Center home is worth about $186,000, up 6.7% in a year, 33% below the Nebraska typical home. 86% of Clay Center households own their home, above both the Nebraska town median (67%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%).
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 77% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Clay Center has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 15° and about 19 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Clay Center for work: only 11% work in town. 4.1% of residents live below the poverty line in Clay Center. Since 2013, Clay Center has added 65 jobs, to 375 in 2023.
| Clay Center | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 34% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Clay Center beats the Nebraska average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 30% of Clay Center adults sleep under 7 hours. Among 58 Nebraska towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Clay Center.
| Clay Center | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 40% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Clay Center | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.3% | 77.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.2% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.6 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Clay County Fairgrounds, at 35 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City Park | 0.4 mi | 6 |
| 2. Clay County Fairgrounds | — | 35 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Clay Center; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Clay Center residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
City in Nebraska, United States
Clay Center is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Hastings, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Clay Center had a population of 735.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Clay Center has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
