Clay County Demographics

A map of Clay County's Population by Race

Clay County, Alabama has an estimated population of 14,192, a less than 1% change from the 14,236 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 78.9% White, 12.8% Black, 4.4% Multiracial, 3.3% Hispanic, 0.4% Asian, and 0.3% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Clay County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Clay is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Alabama overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Clay County, that probability was 35.4% in 2020 and 35.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Clay County is ranked the 56th most populous county in Alabama, out of 67 counties. Clay County was ranked the 56th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Clay County's White Population

11,195 residents of Clay County, or 78.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Clay County is significantly higher than in Alabama overall, where 63.4% of the population is White. Clay County ranks 16th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Clay County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Clay County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 78.9%.

Clay County is more White than neighboring Talladega County (61.8% White), Randolph County (74.6% White), Tallapoosa County (67.8% White), Calhoun County (69.3% White), and Coosa County (65.9% White).

Clay County's Black Population

1,818 residents of Clay County, or 12.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Clay County is considerably lower than in Alabama overall, where 25.6% of the population is Black. Clay County ranks 44th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Clay County's Black population has declined by an estimated 6.4%. Black residents' share of Clay County's population has decreased from 13.6% to 12.8%.

Clay County is less Black than neighboring Talladega County (29.8% Black), Randolph County (15.5% Black), Tallapoosa County (23.2% Black), Calhoun County (21.6% Black), and Coosa County (29.2% Black).

Clay County's Asian Population

54 residents of Clay County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Clay County is comparable to the share in Alabama overall, where 1.4% of the population is Asian. Clay County ranks 44th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Clay County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 17.4%. Asian residents' share of Clay County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Clay County is more Asian than neighboring Coosa County (0.3% Asian). Clay County is less Asian than neighboring Talladega County (0.6% Asian), Tallapoosa County (0.6% Asian), and Calhoun County (0.8% Asian).

Clay County's Hispanic Population

465 residents of Clay County, or 3.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Clay County is slightly lower than in Alabama overall, where 5.6% of the population is Hispanic. Clay County ranks 35th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Clay County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 3.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Clay County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.3%.

Clay County is more Hispanic than neighboring Talladega County (2.4% Hispanic), Randolph County (3% Hispanic), Tallapoosa County (2.9% Hispanic), and Coosa County (2.5% Hispanic). Clay County is less Hispanic than neighboring Calhoun County (4.6% Hispanic).

Clay County's Native American/Other Population

42 residents of Clay County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Clay County is comparable to the share in Alabama overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Clay County ranks 40th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Clay County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 44.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Clay County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Clay County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Coosa County (0.1% Native American/Other). Clay County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Randolph County (0.6% Native American/Other), Tallapoosa County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Calhoun County (0.7% Native American/Other).

Clay County's Multiracial Population

618 residents of Clay County, or 4.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Clay County is comparable to the share in Alabama overall, where 3.3% of the population is Multiracial. Clay County ranks 37th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Clay County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 33.5%. Multiracial residents' share of Clay County's population has increased from 3.3% to 4.4%.

Clay County is more Multiracial than neighboring Calhoun County (3% Multiracial), and Coosa County (2.1% Multiracial). Clay County is less Multiracial than neighboring Talladega County (5% Multiracial), Randolph County (5.9% Multiracial), and Tallapoosa County (4.9% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.