Clay County, Florida: commercial real estate data.
Clay County, Florida has a population of 227,584 across 604 square miles, up 8.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $9.13 bn in 2024, 4,455 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 192 7(a) approvals worth $107.9 m.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Clay County
How many people live in Clay County
- Population227,584
- Households83,707
- Average household size2.72
- Median household income$87,820
- Median age40.4
- Median gross rent$1,551 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$312,500
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over158,246
- Population under 1851,999
- Share under 1822.8 percent
- Population 65 and over39,006
- Share 65 and over17.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64136,579
- Civilian labor force112,596
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.1 percent
- Rank by population among Florida counties25th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents314th
Clay County is the 25th largest of 67 Florida counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.8 percent against 17.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
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 base8.48 percent
- Census 2020 base population218,245
- Births, 20242,270
- Deaths, 20242,200
- Natural change, 202470
- Net domestic migration, 20243,459
- Net international migration, 2024529
- Total net migration, 20243,988
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202416,893
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents210th
The county has grown 8.48 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
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 arriving10,294
- People arriving, from those returns20,459
- Adjusted gross income arriving$746.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$72,507
- Largest single originClay County Non-migrants (82,893 households)
- Largest single destination (82,893 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County Non-migrants | 82,893 | 172,143 | $6.57 bn |
| Duval County | 3,428 | 6,655 | $185.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,276 | 6,712 | $279.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,450 | 2,939 | $112.8 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 678 | 1,368 | $71.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 582 | 1,200 | $47.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 566 | 1,205 | $47.9 m |
| St. Johns County | 424 | 844 | $34.2 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$9.13 bn
- County GDP, 2023$8.37 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.1 percent
- GDP change over five years54.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Florida counties30th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents478th
- GDP per resident$40,095
Output grew 9.1 percent in the latest year and 54.0 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 average57,413
- Establishments reporting5,454
- Average annual pay$54,688
- Average weekly wage$1,052
- Sector 62, employment10,961
- Sector 62, average annual pay$59,822
- Sector 44-45, employment8,787
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,064
- Sector 72, employment7,090
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,630
- Sector 23, employment4,554
- Sector 23, average annual pay$58,526
- Sector 54, employment3,086
- Sector 56, employment3,000
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 10,961 | 694 | $59,822 |
| Sector 44-45 | 8,787 | 623 | $37,064 |
| Sector 72 | 7,090 | 397 | $24,630 |
| Sector 23 | 4,554 | 784 | $58,526 |
| Sector 54 | 3,086 | 687 | $91,164 |
| Sector 56 | 3,000 | 418 | $43,101 |
| Sector 52 | 1,896 | 202 | $87,027 |
| Sector 81 | 1,734 | 401 | $44,839 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 10,961 jobs, 19.1 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 industries4,455
- Employment at those establishments48,303
- Annual payroll$2.21 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.6
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, 20241,880
- Declared construction value permitted$536.3 m
- Single family units authorised1,863
- Multifamily units authorised17
- Multifamily share of units0.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$285,258
- Units authorised per 1,000 households22.5
Multifamily is 0.9 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 recorded192
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$107.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$562,015
- Median 7(a) approval$264,300
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,412,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,501
- Jobs per approval13.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active62
- Distinct industries receiving approvals98
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer24.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms46
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter129
- Franchise loans45
- Franchise share of approvals23.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (11)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (13)
- 504 approvals recorded93
- 504 gross approval dollars$64.9 m
- Average 504 approval$698,226
- Median 504 approval$362,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval11.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.8
- Most active CDCFlorida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (59)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals67.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$172.8 m
The average approval of $562,015 sits well above the median of $264,300, 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 24.0 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. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 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 recorded32
- Paid in full30
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans6.3 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure122
- Status: Paid in full30
- Status: Cancelled31
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed7
Of the 32 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
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 lending6
- ORANGE PARK, approvals84
- FLEMING ISLAND, approvals40
- GREEN COVE SPRINGS, approvals30
- MIDDLEBURG, approvals28
- Keystone Heights, approvals8
- Middleburg,, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| ORANGE PARK | 84 | $59,491,800 |
| FLEMING ISLAND | 40 | $15,742,400 |
| GREEN COVE SPRINGS | 30 | $20,256,800 |
| MIDDLEBURG | 28 | $6,053,700 |
| Keystone Heights | 8 | $6,158,100 |
| Middleburg, | 2 | $204,000 |
ORANGE PARK accounts for 84 approvals against 40 in FLEMING ISLAND. 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 area604 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Florida counties43rd of 67
- Width, east to west28.1 mi
- Height, north to south32.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land377
- Establishments per square mile7.38
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.
Clay County
What hazards affect Clay County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
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.
- 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.
- Population227,584
- Households83,707
- Average household size2.72
- Median household income$87,820
- Median age40.4
Common questions
Clay County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clay County, Florida?
227,584, in 83,707 households, ranking 25th of 67 Florida counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Clay County growing?
The population has grown 8.48 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,270 births against 2,200 deaths, with net migration of 3,988. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clay County?
$87,820. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $312,500, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,551 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Clay County?
4,455 establishments, employing 48,303 people with an annual payroll of $2.21 bn. 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 $54,688, or $1,052 a week, across 57,413 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?
192 7(a) approvals totalling $107.9 m since FY2020, across 62 lenders, with a median approval of $264,300, plus 93 504 approvals worth $64.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Clay County get paid back?
Of the 32 loans that have reached a final outcome, 30 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 6.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Clay County?
1,880 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $536.3 m. Multifamily was 0.9 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 82,893 households. Arriving households report an average income of $72,507 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.