Clay County, Nebraska

Clay County
County
Clay County courthouse in Clay Center
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Nebraska's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°31′N98°03′W / 40.52°N 98.05°W / 40.52; -98.05
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
Founded	1855 (authorized) 1871 (organized)
Named for	Henry Clay
Seat	Clay Center
Largest city	Sutton
Area
• Total	574 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Land	572 sq mi (1,480 km2)
• Water	1.2 sq mi (3 km2)  0.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,104
• Density	11/sq mi (4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.claycounty.ne.gov

Clay County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 6,104. ^[1] Its county seat is Clay Center. ^[2] The county was formed in 1855, ^[3] and was organized in 1871. ^{[4] [5]} It was named for Henry Clay, a member of the United States Senate from Kentucky, who went on to become United States Secretary of State. ^[6] In the Nebraska license plate system, Clay County is represented by the prefix 30 (it had the 30th-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has an area of 574 square miles (1,490 km²), of which 572 square miles (1,480 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) (0.2%) is water. ^[7]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 6
• Nebraska Highway 14
• Nebraska Highway 41
• Nebraska Highway 74

Adjacent counties

• York County – northeast
• Fillmore County – east
• Thayer County – southeast
• Nuckolls County – south
• Webster County – southwest
• Adams County – west
• Hamilton County – north

Protected areas

• Alberding Lagoon National Wildlife Management Area ^[8]
• Bluewing Wildlife Management Area ^[9]
• Eckhardt Lagoon National Wildlife Management Area ^[10]
• Green Wing State Wildlife Management Area ^[11]
• Hansen Lagoon National Wildlife Management Area ^[12]
• Harms Federal Waterfowl Production Area ^[13]
• Hultine Federal Waterfowl Production Area ^[14]
• Kissinger Basin State Wildlife Management Area ^[15]
• Lange Lagoon National Wildlife Management Area ^[16]
• Massie Federal Waterfowl Production Area ^[17]
• Meadowlark Federal Waterfowl Production Area ^[18]
• Moger Lagoon National Wildlife Management Area ^[19]
• Sandpiper Federal Waterfowl Production Area ^[20]
• Schuck Federal Waterfowl Production Area ^[21]
• Smith Lagoon National Wildlife Management Area ^[22]
• White Front Wildlife Management Area ^[23]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	165		—
1870	54		−67.3%
1880	11,294		20,814.8%
1890	16,310		44.4%
1900	15,735		−3.5%
1910	15,729		0.0%
1920	14,486		−7.9%
1930	13,571		−6.3%
1940	10,445		−23.0%
1950	8,700		−16.7%
1960	8,717		0.2%
1970	8,266		−5.2%
1980	8,106		−1.9%
1990	7,213		−11.0%
2000	7,039		−2.4%
2010	6,542		−7.1%
2020	6,104		−6.7%
US Decennial Census [24] 1790-1960 [25] 1900-1990 [26] 1990-2000 [27] 2010 [28]

As of the 2000 United States Census, ^[29] there were 7,039 people, 2,756 households, and 1,981 families in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile (4.6 people/km²). There were 3,066 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (1.9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.57% White, 0.17% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 1.24% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. 3.48% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 49.4% were of German, 7.2% English, 7.2% American, 5.4% Swedish and 5.3% Irish ancestry.

There were 2,756 households, out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.70% were married couples living together, 5.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.03.

The county population contained 27.30% under the age of 18, 5.90% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,259, and the median income for a family was $39,541. Males had a median income of $28,321 versus $19,870 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,870. About 8.50% of families and 10.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.40% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Clay Center (county seat)
• Edgar
• Fairfield
• Harvard
• Sutton

Villages

• Deweese
• Glenvil
• Ong
• Saronville
• Trumbull

Census-designated place

• Inland

Unincorporated communities

• Eldorado
• Verona

Townships

• Edgar
• Eldorado
• Fairfield
• Glenvil
• Harvard
• Inland
• Leicester
• Lewis
• Logan
• Lone Tree
• Lynn
• Marshall
• School Creek
• Sheridan
• Spring Ranch
• Sutton

Politics

Clay County voters are reliably Republican. In only one national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

United States presidential election results for Clay County, Nebraska ^[30]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	2,677	80.66%	577	17.38%	65	1.96%
2020	2,848	79.78%	632	17.70%	90	2.52%
2016	2,422	79.02%	477	15.56%	166	5.42%
2012	2,232	75.74%	667	22.63%	48	1.63%
2008	2,177	71.78%	780	25.72%	76	2.51%
2004	2,543	76.21%	743	22.27%	51	1.53%
2000	2,326	72.35%	774	24.07%	115	3.58%
1996	1,982	59.86%	880	26.58%	449	13.56%
1992	1,824	50.84%	802	22.35%	962	26.81%
1988	2,352	67.78%	1,097	31.61%	21	0.61%
1984	2,920	77.74%	811	21.59%	25	0.67%
1980	2,739	71.63%	840	21.97%	245	6.41%
1976	2,254	60.87%	1,369	36.97%	80	2.16%
1972	2,542	74.70%	861	25.30%	0	0.00%
1968	2,273	66.58%	935	27.39%	206	6.03%
1964	1,879	48.43%	2,001	51.57%	0	0.00%
1960	3,005	69.30%	1,331	30.70%	0	0.00%
1956	3,099	71.42%	1,240	28.58%	0	0.00%
1952	3,559	76.14%	1,115	23.86%	0	0.00%
1948	2,511	61.24%	1,589	38.76%	0	0.00%
1944	3,375	68.81%	1,530	31.19%	0	0.00%
1940	3,576	66.98%	1,763	33.02%	0	0.00%
1936	2,856	48.26%	2,932	49.54%	130	2.20%
1932	2,320	36.39%	3,878	60.82%	178	2.79%
1928	4,105	69.27%	1,767	29.82%	54	0.91%
1924	2,758	50.32%	1,716	31.31%	1,007	18.37%
1920	3,392	67.73%	1,466	29.27%	150	3.00%
1916	1,737	45.46%	1,975	51.69%	109	2.85%
1912	557	15.23%	1,694	46.31%	1,407	38.46%
1908	1,891	47.80%	1,939	49.01%	126	3.19%
1904	2,118	59.48%	701	19.69%	742	20.84%
1900	1,932	50.46%	1,826	47.69%	71	1.85%

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Clay County, Nebraska

References

1. "Clay County, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved June 16, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Fitzpatrick, Lilian Linder (1925). Nebraska Place-Names. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Studies in Language, Literature, and Criticism. p. 42. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
4. "Clay County Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey" (PDF). Nebraska State Historical Society. Archived from the original on November 16, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
5. Andreas, A. T. (1882). "Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska". The Kansas Collection. Archived from the original on May 7, 2003. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
6. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p.  83.
7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
8. Alberding Lagoon National Wildlife Management Area, Clay Center NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
9. Bluewing Wildlife Management Area, Edgar NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
10. Eckhardt Lagoon National Wildlife Management Area, Edgar NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
11. Green Wing State Wildlife Management Area, Schickley NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
12. Hansen Lagoon National Wildlife Management Area, Sutton NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
13. Harms Federal Waterfowl Production Area, Clay Center NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
14. Hultine Federal Waterfowl Production Area, Saronville NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
15. Kissinger Basin State Wildlife Management Area, Fairfield NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
16. Lange Lagoon National Wildlife Mgt Area, Sutton NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
17. Massie Federal Waterfowl Production Area, Clay Center NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
18. Meadowlard Federal Waterfowl Production Area, Clay Center NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
19. Moger Lagoon National Wildlife Management Area, Clay Center NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
20. Sandpiper Federal Waterfowl Production Area, Saronville NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
21. Schuck Federal Waterfowl Production Area, Edgar NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
22. Smith Lagoon National Wildlife Management Area, Edgar NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
23. White Front Wildlife Management Area, Clay Center NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
24. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
25. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
26. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
27. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
28. "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
29. "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
30. Election Results

External links

• Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska - Clay County

40°31′N98°03′W / 40.52°N 98.05°W / 40.52; -98.05