Clay County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Clay County, Arkansas has a population of 14,280 across 639 square miles, down 3.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $476.3 m in 2024, 278 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 7 7(a) approvals worth $3.9 m.
106 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Clay County
How many people live in Clay County
- Population14,280
- Households6,021
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$51,481
- Median age42.7
- Median gross rent$707 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$94,600
- Home value to household income1.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over10,227
- Population under 183,067
- Share under 1821.5 percent
- Population 65 and over3,112
- Share 65 and over21.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,101
- Civilian labor force6,556
- Unemployment rate6.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.5 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties51st of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2205th
Clay County is the 51st largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 1.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.8 percent against 21.5 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Clay County
Is Clay County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.02 percent
- Census 2020 base population14,551
- Births, 2024136
- Deaths, 2024243
- Natural change, 2024-107
- Net domestic migration, 202418
- Net international migration, 202410
- Total net migration, 202428
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-28
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2742nd
The county has lost 3.02 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Clay County
Where people moving to Clay County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving313
- People arriving, from those returns598
- Adjusted gross income arriving$12.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$40,997
- Largest single originClay County Non-migrants (4,604 households)
- Largest single destination (4,604 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County Non-migrants | 4,604 | 9,671 | $234.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 101 | 180 | $4.4 m |
| Greene County | 92 | 194 | $3.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 73 | 123 | $2.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 58 | 101 | $2.0 m |
| Dunklin County | 32 | 71 | $1.5 m |
| Craighead County | 30 | 52 | $1.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 28 | 57 | $1.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Clay County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Clay County
What the Clay County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$476.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$486.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-2.0 percent
- GDP change over five years33.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Arkansas counties55th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2434th
- GDP per resident$33,353
Output grew -2.0 percent in the latest year and 33.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Clay County
Who employs people in Clay County
- Covered employment, annual average3,120
- Establishments reporting352
- Average annual pay$42,107
- Average weekly wage$810
- Sector 62, employment452
- Sector 62, average annual pay$43,804
- Sector 44-45, employment360
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,243
- Sector 42, employment247
- Sector 42, average annual pay$49,550
- Sector 31-33, employment148
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$36,429
- Sector 81, employment94
- Sector 52, employment80
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 452 | 41 | $43,804 |
| Sector 44-45 | 360 | 41 | $35,243 |
| Sector 42 | 247 | 18 | $49,550 |
| Sector 31-33 | 148 | 14 | $36,429 |
| Sector 81 | 94 | 23 | $51,310 |
| Sector 52 | 80 | 11 | $57,860 |
| Sector 54 | 56 | 16 | $38,573 |
| Sector 53 | 41 | 10 | $22,191 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 452 jobs, 14.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Clay County
What businesses operate in Clay County
- Establishments, all industries278
- Employment at those establishments2,374
- Annual payroll$100.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Clay County
What is being built in Clay County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202410
- Declared construction value permitted$1.5 m
- Single family units authorised10
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$152,979
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.7
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Clay County
How much SBA lending happens in Clay County
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$559,986
- Median 7(a) approval$225,000
- 10th percentile approval$10,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,334,000
- Largest single approval$1,334,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)20
- Jobs per approval2.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term216 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer28.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (3)
- Most active lenderFirst Service Bank (2)
The average approval of $559,986 sits well above the median of $225,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 28.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Clay County
Do SBA loans in Clay County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
- Status: Paid in full2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Clay County
Which parts of Clay County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Corning, approvals4
- RECTOR, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Corning | 4 | $520,000 |
| RECTOR | 3 | $3,399,900 |
Corning accounts for 4 approvals against 3 in RECTOR. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Clay County
How big is Clay County
- Land area639 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties40th of 75
- Width, east to west41.3 mi
- Height, north to south20.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land22
- Establishments per square mile0.44
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Clay County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Clay County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population14,280
- Households6,021
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$51,481
- Median age42.7
Common questions
Clay County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clay County, Arkansas?
14,280, in 6,021 households, ranking 51st of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Clay County growing?
The population has fallen 3.02 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 136 births against 243 deaths, with net migration of 28. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clay County?
$51,481. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $94,600, which is 1.8 times income, and median gross rent is $707 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Clay County?
278 establishments, employing 2,374 people with an annual payroll of $100.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Clay County?
Average annual pay is $42,107, or $810 a week, across 3,120 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Clay County?
7 7(a) approvals totalling $3.9 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $225,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Clay County?
10 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.5 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Clay County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Clay County come from?
The largest single origin is Clay County Non-migrants, with 4,604 households. Arriving households report an average income of $40,997 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Clay County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Clay County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.