HomeWest VirginiaClay County
Clay County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Clay County, West Virginia has a population of 7,835 across 342 square miles, down 4.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $213.3 m in 2024, 82 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $175,000.
100 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Clay County
How many people live in Clay County
- Population7,835
- Households2,972
- Average household size2.64
- Median household income$42,318
- Median age45.4
- Median gross rent$651 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$109,100
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher11.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over5,401
- Population under 181,708
- Share under 1821.8 percent
- Population 65 and over1,758
- Share 65 and over22.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,369
- Civilian labor force2,748
- Unemployment rate11.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over44.9 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties47th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2662nd
Clay County is the 47th largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.4 percent against 21.8 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-4.54 percent
- Census 2020 base population8,055
- Births, 202469
- Deaths, 2024137
- Natural change, 2024-68
- Net domestic migration, 202416
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 202416
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-38
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2950th
The county has lost 4.54 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 arriving121
- People arriving, from those returns242
- Adjusted gross income arriving$4.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$36,298
- Largest single originClay County Non-migrants (2,520 households)
- Largest single destination (2,520 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County Non-migrants | 2,520 | 5,667 | $122.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 65 | 128 | $2.2 m |
| Kanawha County | 35 | 63 | $1.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 21 | 51 | $780,000 |
| Other flows - South | 21 | 51 | $780,000 |
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$213.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$198.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.6 percent
- GDP change over five years62.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties52nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2884th
- GDP per resident$27,227
Output grew 7.6 percent in the latest year and 62.6 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 average1,693
- Establishments reporting200
- Average annual pay$53,390
- Average weekly wage$1,027
- Sector 62, employment395
- Sector 62, average annual pay$29,945
- Sector 44-45, employment127
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,315
- Sector 23, employment86
- Sector 23, average annual pay$41,123
- Sector 81, employment55
- Sector 81, average annual pay$44,718
- Sector 51, employment25
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 395 | 58 | $29,945 |
| Sector 44-45 | 127 | 20 | $31,315 |
| Sector 23 | 86 | 16 | $41,123 |
| Sector 81 | 55 | 9 | $44,718 |
| Sector 51 | 25 | 5 | $97,662 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 395 jobs, 23.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Clay County
What businesses operate in Clay County
- Establishments, all industries82
- Employment at those establishments898
- Annual payroll$34.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents10.5
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, 20241
- Declared construction value permitted$50,000
- Single family units authorised1
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$50,000
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.3
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 recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$175,000
- Average 7(a) approval$87,500
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$150,000
- Largest single approval$150,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)12
- Jobs per approval6.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countResidential Remodelers (2)
- Most active lenderNewtek Bank, National Association (2)
The average approval of $87,500 sits close to the median of $150,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 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.
Clay County
Do SBA loans in Clay County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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
How big is Clay County
- Land area342 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties37th of 55
- Width, east to west25.3 mi
- Height, north to south27.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land23
- Establishments per square mile0.24
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.
- Population7,835
- Households2,972
- Average household size2.64
- Median household income$42,318
- Median age45.4
Common questions
Clay County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clay County, West Virginia?
7,835, in 2,972 households, ranking 47th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Clay County growing?
The population has fallen 4.54 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 69 births against 137 deaths, with net migration of 16. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clay County?
$42,318. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $109,100, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $651 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Clay County?
82 establishments, employing 898 people with an annual payroll of $34.2 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 $53,390, or $1,027 a week, across 1,693 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?
2 7(a) approvals totalling $175,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Clay County?
1 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $50,000. 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 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 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 2,520 households. Arriving households report an average income of $36,298 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.