Clay County Demographics

A map of Clay County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	198,705	193,282	77.0%	76.3%
Hispanic	20,621	18,850	8.0%	7.4%
Black	17,626	17,853	6.8%	7.0%
Multiracial	12,451	14,266	4.8%	5.6%
Asian	6,619	6,059	2.6%	2.4%
Native American/Other	2,100	3,025	0.8%	1.2%

Clay County, Missouri has an estimated population of 258,122, a slight increase from the 253,335 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 77.0% White, 8.0% Hispanic, 6.8% Black, 4.8% Multiracial, 2.6% Asian, and 0.8% 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 has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is slightly less diverse than Missouri 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 40.4% in 2020 and 39.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Clay County is ranked the 6th most populous county in Missouri, out of 115 counties. Clay County was ranked the 6th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Clay County's White Population

198,705 residents of Clay County, or 77.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Clay County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 76.3% of the population is White. Clay County ranks 105th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Clay County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.8%. White residents' share of Clay County's population has increased from 76.3% to 77.0%.

Clay County is more White than neighboring Jackson County (59.3% White), Platte County (76.7% White), and Wyandotte County (36.4% White). Clay County is less White than neighboring Clinton County (91.9% White), and Ray County (92.2% White).

Clay County's Black Population

17,626 residents of Clay County, or 6.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Clay County is slightly lower than in Missouri overall, where 10.9% of the population is Black. Clay County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Clay County's Black population has declined by an estimated 1.3%. Black residents' share of Clay County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 6.8%.

Clay County is more Black than neighboring Clinton County (0.8% Black), and Ray County (0.8% Black). Clay County is less Black than neighboring Jackson County (22% Black), Platte County (7.5% Black), and Wyandotte County (18.1% Black).

Clay County's Asian Population

6,619 residents of Clay County, or 2.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Clay County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 2.1% of the population is Asian. Clay County ranks 9th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Clay County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 9.2%. Asian residents' share of Clay County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.6%.

Clay County is more Asian than neighboring Clinton County (0.2% Asian), Jackson County (1.8% Asian), Platte County (2.5% Asian), and Ray County (0.3% Asian). Clay County is less Asian than neighboring Wyandotte County (5.2% Asian).

Clay County's Hispanic Population

20,621 residents of Clay County, or 8.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Clay County is slightly higher than in Missouri overall, where 5.2% of the population is Hispanic. Clay County ranks 11th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Clay County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 9.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Clay County's population has increased from 7.4% to 8.0%.

Clay County is more Hispanic than neighboring Clinton County (2.6% Hispanic), Platte County (7.2% Hispanic), and Ray County (2.9% Hispanic). Clay County is less Hispanic than neighboring Jackson County (11.4% Hispanic), and Wyandotte County (34.1% Hispanic).

Clay County's Native American/Other Population

2,100 residents of Clay County, or 0.8% 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 Missouri overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Clay County ranks 12th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Clay County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 30.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Clay County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Clay County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Clinton County (0.3% Native American/Other). Clay County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Jackson County (0.9% Native American/Other), Platte County (0.9% Native American/Other), and Wyandotte County (1.1% Native American/Other).

Clay County's Multiracial Population

12,451 residents of Clay County, or 4.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Clay County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 4.8% of the population is Multiracial. Clay County ranks 12th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Clay County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 12.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Clay County's population has decreased from 5.6% to 4.8%.

Clay County is more Multiracial than neighboring Clinton County (4.2% Multiracial), Jackson County (4.6% Multiracial), and Ray County (3% Multiracial). Clay County is less Multiracial than neighboring Platte County (5.2% Multiracial), and Wyandotte County (5.1% 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.