Old Clay County Courthouse · National Register of Historic Places
Clay’s story
168 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1858Clay is settled
ClayWV
A town of 363, settled in 1858.
Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5
Population
363
2025 Census estimate · −9% since 2020
Typical home
$110K
−1.8% in a year
Median age
30.4
years
Jobs based here
730
A job hub
Is Clay a good place to live?
78% of residents live below the poverty line in Clay, above both West Virginia’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Clay. Old Clay County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. Clay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Clay stand out
Where Clay beats most towns.
Small town
363 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby 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.
PowerAppalachian Power17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterClay Water Dept4 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers50% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Clay’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn West Virginia you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereClay Clerk of the County CommissionClay County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP code2504325043 100%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.
Work & commute
A job hub: Clay has 6.1 jobs for every working resident and draws in 704 commuters
About one in 5 of Clay’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Clay has lost 275 jobs, to 730 in 2023. The top destinations are Charleston (11%), South Charleston (7%) and Beckley (4%).
22%work in town
| Clay | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 14% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Clay22%
Charleston11%
South Charleston7%
Beckley4%
Summersville3%
29 mi
median commute distance
730
jobs based in Clay
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Clay’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Clay County Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Clay County High School, with 520 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 431 | C |
| Clay County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 520 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Clay
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 93% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clay.
93risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
8
paid flood claims since 1979
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Compared with most of West Virginia and the rest of the country, fewer of Clay’s households own their home
22% of households own their home in Clay, against 68% in West Virginia’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. The median rent in Clay is $665 a month. The typical Clay home is worth about $110,000, down 1.8% in a year, 38% below the West Virginia typical home.
$110KZillow home value
| Clay | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 22% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $665 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Clay$110K
West Virginia$177K
−1.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Clay has four seasons and pleasant summers
Clay has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 24° and about 18 inches of snow falls in a winter.
18″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–45°
Spring42–67°
Summer62–84°
Fall45–68°
Oct 28
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Clay is
Clay beats the West Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 24% of adults smoke cigarettes in Clay. Only 3 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Clay.
| Clay | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 32% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 21% | 17% |
32 measures vs. West Virginia
0 better18 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Clay | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 30.6% | 19.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.2% | 16.2% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.6% | 8.9% |
Summersville Regional Medical Center
18 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Clay
18pages on Clay
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Clay; the nearest are
University of CharlestonUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Charleston30.1 mi$33,800 tuitionBridgeValley Community & Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · South Charleston34 mi$5,800 in-state tuitionGlenville State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Glenville35.4 mi$9,578 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Clay residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
A job hub
Every workday, about 704 people come to Clay for work
Where Clay’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
730jobs based in Clay
22%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Clay
4 notable people were born in Clay.
About Clay
Town in West Virginia, United States
Clay is a town in and the county seat of Clay County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 399 at the 2020 census. It is the only incorporated town in Clay County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 709 ft
- ZIP code
- 25043
- Area code
- 304
Questions about Clay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Clay, WV a good place to live?
Clay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Clay, WV known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Gene Johnson and Dave Vineyard.