EdenParkElementaryAug2007, 2007
Clay Township’s story
Clay Township in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1911 on.
Explore the history →
Clay TownshipScioto County, OH
A town of 3,418.
8 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
3,418
2025 Census estimate · −3.1% since 2020
Median home value
$104K
Census ACS
Household income
$36K
median
Median age
44.8
years
Jobs based here
1,348
Balanced
TownGrade
D
#984 of 987 in OH
Is Clay Township a good place to live?
Clay Township grades D overall, ranked 984th of 987 in Ohio, mostly because of health and incomes. On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. The median household income is $36K, and 27% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: homes are within reach, about $104K for a typical one, or 2.1 years of the Portsmouth area’s $51K median household income. 27% of residents live below the poverty line in Clay Township, above both the Ohio town median (9.1%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 6 of Ohio’s 1,560 towns score lower on civic life. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 87% of U.S. towns.
How Clay Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Clay Township is from typical.
HealthLess healthy than 98% of U.S. towns; Southern Ohio Medical Center 2.9 miles awayD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.9 of 20; 2.9% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & incomeC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 55% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listC+Open →Cost of livingB−Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors7 miles of trailsC−Open →HistoryC−Open →Civic life0.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Clay Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clay Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAEP Ohio19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPortsmouth City water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offShawnee Sanitation, 5 miOpenStreetMap
Register to voteOnlineIn Ohio you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDirector, Scioto County Board of ElectionsScioto County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP codes45662, 4564845662 91% · 45648 9%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Clay Township.
Clay Township trades workers with Portsmouth and other neighbors, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Ohio (mostly inland flooding) and has poverty well above the Ohio rate.
HealthD−
A larger share of adults in Clay Township smoke cigarettes than in the typical Ohio or U.S. town
23% of adults smoke cigarettes in Clay Township. Among 993 Ohio towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Clay Township. 44% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Clay Township.
2%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Clay Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 28% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
1 better8 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Clay Township | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.1% | 16.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26.7% | 15.3% |
Southern Ohio Medical Center
2.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
1st
percentile among OH towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
Public schools in Clay Township fall behind 52% of Ohio districts
Its public schools are run by the Clay Local school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
48%of OH districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 326 | B |
| Clay High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 145 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsC−
Clay Township has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
7.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Tremper Mound Preserve, at 32 acres.
#359for trails in OH
0%
conserved · 0 of 14,074 acres
7.1 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clay Township Park | 0.3 mi | 11 |
| 2. Tremper Mound Preserve | — | 32 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Clay Township
Clay Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 24° and about 7 inches of snow falls in a winter.
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–44°
Spring42–66°
Summer62–85°
Fall44–68°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 17
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Clay Township stands out in Ohio and nationally: the median household income there is lower
Clay Township has about as many jobs (1,348) as working residents, but only 67 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 30.4 minutes, against 23.4 across Ohio.
Only 8 of the 992 Ohio towns we compare have a lower median household income than Clay Township. The average trip to work in Clay Township is 30 minutes. Since 2013, Clay Township has added 458 jobs, to 1,348 in 2023.
5%work in town
| Clay Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 6.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Clay Township5%
Portsmouth32%
Scioto Township4%
New Boston3%
Columbus3%
8 mi
median commute distance
1,348
jobs based in Clay Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 13% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Older than Ohio overall
27.1% of residents live below the poverty line, against 13.3% across Ohio, which weighs on its C− for jobs and income. The median household earns $35,530, against $71,389 across Ohio.
People 65 and older are 23% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 18% of residents (22% statewide). Clay Township’s median age is 44.8 years. Clay Township has lost 3.1% of its people since 2020, down to 3,418 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
44.8median age · OH 39.7
| Clay Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 44.8 years | 41.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 24% | 29% |
Clay TownshipOhioUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school51%
Some college16%
Associate’s5%
Bachelor’s14%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
57% women, 43% men
About 75 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±6.6 points). Across Ohio, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Clay Township | OH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.9% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.6% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.5% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.7% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 10.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.7% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 51.1% | 32.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.8% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.9% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14% | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.4% | 12.2% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,400, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Moderate risk in Clay Township, with inland flooding at the top
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 87% of Ohio towns, with expected losses of about $651 per resident a year; that rating is what its C+ for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1978, 18 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clay Township.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat waves
18
paid flood claims since 1978
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Clay Township
18pages on Clay Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Clay Township
About 2 of every 100 Clay Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
About Clay Township
Township in Ohio, US
Clay Township is one of the sixteen townships of Scioto County, Ohio, United States. The 2020 census counted 3,516 people in the township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 22 sq mi
- Elevation
- 978 ft
Clay Township’s neighbors
8 towns share a border with Clay Township.
Washington TownshipPortsmouthRush TownshipRosemountHarrison TownshipJefferson TownshipValley TownshipPorter TownshipClay Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay Township | #984 | D | B− | — | B− | D− |
| Washington Township | #983 | D | B− | — | B− | D |
| Portsmouth | #985 | D− | B | D | C | D− |
| Rush Township | #987 | D− | C+ | — | B− | D− |
| Rosemount | — | — | C+ | — | B− | D |
| Harrison Township | #940 | D | A− | — | B− | D− |
| Jefferson Township | #980 | D | C | — | B+ | D |
| Valley Township | #898 | C− | B | — | B+ | D |
Rosemount has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Clay Township, Washington Township, Rush Township, Rosemount, Harrison Township, Jefferson Township and Valley Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Clay Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Clay Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Clay Township, OH a good place to live?
Clay Township grades D overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #984 of 987 in Ohio. It grades D− for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Clay Township, OH expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.