← Map/← Nebraska/Counties/Clay

Clay
Nebraska

6K

Population

$74K

Median Income

$183K

Median Home

—

Politics

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What stands out

If you had to describe Clay County in numbers, start here: the overdose death rate is in the bottom 4% of American counties (0 per 100,000), the home price against local income is in the bottom 11% of American counties (1.5 years of income), and unemployment is in the bottom 12% of American counties (2.4%). Within Nebraska it ranks 69th of 93 counties for the overdose death rate, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Clay County, Nebraska. 6,088 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population grew 1.1% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +66).

Nebraska stopped taxing Social Security in 2025 and is cutting its top income-tax rate toward 3.99%. Property taxes are among the highest in the country as a share of home value, which is the state's longest-running political fight. Omaha and Lincoln hold most of the population and jobs; the state has the country's only unicameral legislature and publicly owned electric utilities.

Money

The typical household here brings in $73,933 a year, higher than 81% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $51,771. Unemployment runs 2.4%, lower than 88% of American counties. 9% of workers work from home.

Nebraska takes 4.1% of that median income in state income tax, about $3,063 a year.

Home

The median home costs $182K, cheaper than 71% of American counties, about 1.5 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $713 a month. Property tax is 1.35% of home value, roughly $1,747 a year on that median home, higher than 79% of American counties. 80% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.1 per 1,000 residents, lower than 87% of American counties.

A child born here can expect to live 77.5 years, longer than 70% of American counties. There are 4 active physicians in the county, about 6.6 per 10,000 people. 7.0% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.09 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than 76% of American counties. 93% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

78% of eligible voters turned out. Under Nebraska law you can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, abortion is legal with limits, and marijuana is medical only.

Weather and risk

The year averages 53°F, highs near 65 and lows near 41, colder than 64% of American counties. About 28 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 64 out of 100, riskier than 64% of American counties; the county has had 19 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 205 Mbps down, faster than 52% of American counties. There are 2 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.6 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 1 brewery.

Written from the figures below. Percentiles compare this county with every other county that reports the same figure; missing figures are left out rather than guessed.

Economy

Median Household Income$74K
This county
national avg ~$75K
Poverty Rate9.9%
This county
national avg ~11.5%
Unemployment Rate2.4%
This county
national avg ~3.8%
GDP per Capita$81,662
Federal Spending per Capita$1,018
Median Individual Earnings$43K
This county
national avg $45K
Professional/Management Workers37.5%
Average Adjusted Gross Income$80K
Avg Credit Score722
Work From Home %8.8%
This county
national avg 17.0%
Population Under 1824.9%
This county
national avg 22.0%
Single-Person Households24.7%
This county
national avg 28.0%
Banks & Finance Firms8
Income (20th Percentile)$30K
Income (80th Percentile)$127K
Income (95th Percentile)$189K
Bachelor's Degree or Higher21.6%
This county
national avg 34.3%
Less Than High School6.7%
This county
national avg 11.0%
Dependency Ratio0.82
Medicare Spending / Person$3,357
SS Benefits / Person$4,546
Education Wage Premium1.71x
Median Earnings (Bachelor's)$49K
Median Earnings (Graduate)$62K
Median Earnings (HS Diploma)$36K
Public Assistance Recipients1.9%
Average Annual Wage$52K
Federal Government Jobs Located Here127
Federal Share of Jobs Located Here6.2%
Residents Who Work for the Federal Government2.2%
Federal Civilian Share of Earnings8.1%
Federal Contract Dollars Performed Here (FY2025)$7M
Contract Dollars Relative to Local Wages0.06x wages
Largest Award's Share of Contract Dollars19%
Oil and Gas Share of Earnings (incl. proprietors)0.0%

Housing

Sources: Zillow ZHVI · Census ACS 2022 · Tax Foundation 2023 (effective rates)

Median Home Value$183K
This county
$265K state avg
$303K national
Market Rent (ZORI)$668/mo
This county
$1150/mo state avg
$1400/mo national
Property Tax Rate1.35%
This county
1.44% state avg
1.10% national

Annual tax on median home: $1,747

Affordability & Supply

HUD Fair Market Rent (2BR)$961/mo
Home Price Change (1 yr)-0.5%−+25.8% since 2024
Home Value to Income Ratio1.5x income
Severely Cost-Burdened Households6.7%
Homeownership Rate80.4%
This county
national avg ~65%
Days on Market (Redfin)— Slow — buyers have leverage
124 days
Months of Supply (Redfin)— Balanced market
3.7 mo
Sold Above List (Redfin)
0.0%
Sale-to-List Ratio (Redfin)— Buyers market — homes selling below list
97.4%

Source: Redfin · Updated monthly

Health

Life Expectancy77.5 yrs
This county
national avg ~78.5 years
Food Insecurity9.1%
This county
national avg ~11%
Food Environment Index8.1 / 10
This county
higher = better access
Primary Care Shortage Score16
This county
national avg 5
Mental Health Shortage Score17
Dental Care Shortage Score15
Healthcare Shortage Score16.0
Healthcare Offices8
Obesity Rate (BRFSS)40.1%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Smoking Rate (BRFSS)15.2%
This county
national avg 14.0%
Poor Health Rate (BRFSS)15.8%
This county
national avg 18.0%
Physical Inactivity (BRFSS)25.9%
This county
national avg 24.0%
High Blood Pressure (BRFSS)29.6%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Active Physicians4
Nursing Home Rating3.5 / 5
This county
national avg ~3 stars
ER Visits per 1,000 Medicare Patients345 / 1,000
Medicare Cost per Beneficiary$10,616
Uninsured (under 65)7.0%
This county
national avg ~10%
Adults with Depression17.9%

Education

Math Test Scores3.20 grade level
Reading Test Scores2.99 grade level
HS Diploma Holders1,279
Bachelor's Degree Holders638
HS Completion Rate93.3%
This county
national avg ~85%

Safety

Violent Crime Rate3.1 / 1,000
This county
national avg ~4.0
Traffic Fatalities3
Social Vulnerability (CDC SVI)9th pct
Drug Overdose Deaths (2024)0.0 / 100K

Climate & Air Quality

Natural Amenity Scale-3.4
January Sunshine0.68
January Temperature-0.73
Average Temp53°F+2.1% since 2022
Avg High Temp65°F-0.3% since 2022
Avg Low Temp41°F+6.0% since 2022
Annual Precipitation28.0 in/yr+45% since 2022
Avg Storm Events26.2 storms/yr
Avg Annual Storm Damage$3M
Drought Index (2022)-1.49
Heating Degree Days5,627 HDD/yr
This county
national avg ~4,500 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days1,123 CDD/yr
This county
national avg ~1,200 CDD/yr
Heating Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)6,407 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)1,067 CDD/yr
Avg Tornadoes / Year1.0
Avg Flood Events / Year0.4
Avg Hail Events / Year10.4
Avg Hurricane Events / Year0.00
Avg Wildfire Events / Year0.0
Avg Winter Storms / Year0.0
Avg Heat Events / Year0.0
Natural Hazard Risk (FEMA)64 / 100
Community Resilience (FEMA)54 / 100
Federal Disaster Declarations19 since 1953
Fine Particulate Pollution (PM2.5)6.3 µg/m³
This county
EPA standard 9 µg/m³

Outdoor & Recreation

Historic Places (NRHP)10 properties
FAA-Registered Airports2 total
Airports (excl. heliports)2 airports

Brewery Scene

Total Breweries1 breweries
Microbreweries0 microbreweries
Brewpubs1 brewpubs

Internet & Remote Work

Download Speed205 Mbps
This county
national avg ~120 Mbps
Upload Speed171 Mbps
Fixed Internet (Q1 2026)275 Mbps
Mobile Internet (Q1 2026)83 Mbps
Mobile Upload (Q1 2026)11 Mbps
Mobile Latency (Q1 2026)87 ms
Households with 100Mbps+91.8%
This county
national avg 75.0%
Cellular-Only Internet16.7%
This county
national avg 8.0%
Fixed Upload Speed (Q1 2026)222 Mbps

Commute & Transit

Remote Workers267 workers
Public Transit Commuters15 workers
Walk to Work (workers)73 workers
Extreme Commutes (90+ min)46 workers
Bike Commuters0.4%
Walk to Work2.4%

Families & Childcare

Childcare Cost Burden27.0%
This county
national median ~27% of household income
Childcare Centers4.9 per 10K residents
Childcare Facilities4

Civic & Community

Voter Turnout77.5%
This county
national avg ~55%
Volunteering Rate1.0%
Income Inequality (Gini)4.216
Nonprofit Organizations79
Veterans Share6.8%
This county
national avg 7.0%
Married Adults63.3%
Never-Married Adults19.9%
Divorced Adults9.9%
Religious Organizations10
Asian Population0.0%
Native American Population0.4%
Membership Associations18.1 per 10K residents

Lifestyle & Services

Full-Service Restaurants0.64 per 1K residents
Grocery Stores3
Recreation Businesses3
Professional Services Firms9
Real Estate Firms3
Debt Burden
Avg Mortgage Balance$87K
Avg Student Loan Balance$8K
Avg Credit Card Balance$5K
Loan Delinquency Rate26.6%
This county
national avg 4.0%

Innovation

Inventor Rate0.25%

Politics

vs Nebraska State

Income tax
3.99%Same (state law)
Property tax
1.35%1.44% state avg
Politics
—R+19
COL Index
91state index (no county figure)

Population & Migration

Net Domestic Migration 2023

↑ +66

More people arriving than leaving

IRS Wealth Migration

Lower-income migration pattern (IRS: 0.64x avg income)

Economic Mobility

59%

chance a low-income child reaches the middle class

Source: Opportunity Insights

Real Estate

Find Homes in Clay County

Median home value: $182K

View on Zillow →View on Realtor.com →

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Data: Census ACS, BLS, Zillow, USDA Natural Amenities, OpenElections 2024, CMS, NCES. Vintage 2022–2025. News via Google News.

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

Dial in your priorities

Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable