Clay Center, Nebraska
Population, housing costs, incomes, jobs, commuting and climate in Clay Center, compared with Nebraska and the U.S. using Census records and their margins of error.
Clay Center city · Incorporated city · Census GEOID 3109375 · Nebraska directory
- Population · July 1, 2025
- 730 PEP Vintage 2025
- Change · 2024 to 2025
- +0.6% +4 residents
- Household income
- $82,500 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$18,053
- Home value
- $141,300 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$20,977
- Monthly gross rent
- $625 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$105
- Median age
- 38.1 years ACS 2020–2024 · ±5.8
Clay Center is an incorporated city in Clay County, Nebraska, part of the Hastings, NE micropolitan area. With 730 residents on July 1, 2025, it ranks 152nd in Nebraska and 11,652nd nationally among Census places. Its population grew by 4 (0.6%) in the year to July 2025; since April 2020 it has grown 1.1%. Median gross rent in the 2020–2024 survey is $625 a month, 41.7% below the Nebraska median. Median household income is $82,500, 7.9% above the Nebraska median.
Detailed demographics → Housing and cost-of-living context →
What stands out in Clay Center?
Compared with other Nebraska places, Clay Center is most distinctive for faster local job growth, a lower poverty rate and lower rents. Each statement below uses reliable estimates only, and survey differences from the state exceed their combined 90% margin of error.
- Change in local jobs since 2019: +51.8%; higher than 98% of 148 Nebraska places with reliable estimates. It ranks 2nd of 148 in Nebraska.
- Poverty rate: 4.1%, 6.5 percentage points below the Nebraska rate (10.6%); lower than 98% of 115 Nebraska places with reliable estimates. Only 1 of 115 Nebraska places with reliable estimates are lower.
- Median gross rent: $625, 41.7% below the Nebraska median ($1,072); lower than 88% of 320 Nebraska places with reliable estimates.
- Jobs located in the place per 100 residents: 56.8; higher than 81% of 190 Nebraska places with reliable estimates.
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 18.7%, 15.9 percentage points below the Nebraska rate (34.6%); lower than 75% of 263 Nebraska places with reliable estimates.
How Clay Center compares with Nebraska and the U.S.
| Measure | Clay Center | Nebraska | U.S. | Position in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population change since April 2020 PEP Vintage 2025 | +1.1% | — | — | higher than 69% of 417 Nebraska places |
| Residents per square mile of land PEP 2025 / Gazetteer 2025 | 999 | — | — | higher than 62% of 526 Nebraska places |
| Median household income B19013 | $82,500 ±$18,053 | $76,475 | $80,734 | higher than 81% of 407 Nebraska places |
| Median home value B25077 | $141,300 ±$20,977 | $238,600 | $332,700 | higher than 59% of 417 Nebraska places |
| Median real estate taxes paid B25103 | $1,921 ±$299 | $3,549 | $3,119 | higher than 66% of 428 Nebraska places |
| Median gross rent B25064 | $625 ±$105 | $1,072 | $1,413 | lower than 88% of 320 Nebraska places |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent B25070 | 29.3% ±29.1 pp · low precision | 45.1% | 51.1% | Not ranked: low precision |
| Homeownership rate B25003 | 85.7% ±6.6 pp | 66.5% | 65.2% | higher than 69% of 470 Nebraska places |
| Median age B01002 | 38.1 years ±5.8 | 37.2 years | 38.9 years | lower than 67% of 460 Nebraska places |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree or higher B15003 | 18.7% ±4.1 pp | 34.6% | 35.7% | lower than 75% of 263 Nebraska places |
| Poverty rate B17001 | 4.1% ±1.9 pp | 10.6% | 12.5% | lower than 98% of 115 Nebraska places |
| People without health insurance B27010 | 5.6% ±2.7 pp | 7.2% | 8.4% | lower than 88% of 93 Nebraska places |
| Households with a broadband subscription B28002 | 92.2% ±4.5 pp | 90.6% | 91.0% | higher than 80% of 473 Nebraska places |
| Unemployment rate (civilian labor force) B23025 | 1.2% ±1.2 pp · low precision | 3.0% | 5.2% | Not ranked: low precision |
| Foreign-born residents B05002 | 4.2% ±3.3 pp · low precision | 8.0% | 14.1% | Not ranked: low precision |
| Jobs located in the place per 100 residents LODES 8.4 / PEP | 56.8 | — | — | higher than 81% of 190 Nebraska places |
| Change in local jobs since 2019 LODES 8.4 | +51.8% | — | — | higher than 98% of 148 Nebraska places |
| Workers who work from home B08301 | 4.2% ±2.6 pp · low precision | 11.0% | 15.1% | Not ranked: low precision |
| Commutes of 45 minutes or longer B08303 | 4.9% ±2.4 pp | 7.0% | 16.5% | lower than 92% of 100 Nebraska places |
| Households without a vehicle B08201 | 4.0% ±3.1 pp · low precision | 5.4% | 8.4% | Not ranked: low precision |
Positions compare Clay Center with Nebraska places in this directory whose estimate has a coefficient of variation of 30% or less (survey measures) or a published PEP value. The marker runs from the lowest value (left) to the highest (right); it is a description, not a score or a recommendation. 5 measures are shown in grey because the survey margin of error is too wide to rank reliably. With 730 residents, Clay Center has a small ACS sample; prefer the population and geography records for precise comparisons.
How many people live in Clay Center?
The latest official estimate is 730 residents on July 1, 2025. It ranks 11,652nd by population nationally and 152nd in Nebraska among this directory’s PEP places. Population changed by 4 residents between the 2024 and 2025 estimates. These are annual estimates, not census enumerations.
| Reference date | Population | Change from previous estimate |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2020 | 722 | Separate from April 2020 base |
| July 1, 2021 | 720 | -2 |
| July 1, 2022 | 717 | -3 |
| July 1, 2023 | 727 | +10 |
| July 1, 2024 | 726 | -1 |
| July 1, 2025 | 730 | +4 |
From the revised April 2020 base to July 2025, the change is +8 residents (1.1%). This is a within-vintage comparison. Boundary adjustments can affect both the estimates and their interpretation.
Download this population chart (SVG) · Official population release
Where are the boundaries?
- Entity and stable identifier
- Clay Center city, Nebraska · Incorporated city · 3109375
- Counties or equivalents · 2025 boundaries
- Clay County
- Metropolitan or micropolitan context · July 2023 delineations
- Hastings, NE — Micropolitan Statistical Area County associations use Census PEP county place parts. Each county is matched by FIPS code to the official CBSA list; a city can span several counties or statistical areas. A missing association can reflect an area outside a CBSA or changed county codes between vintages. City figures on this page remain place-level statistics.
- Land area
- 0.7 square miles · 2025 Gazetteer
- Water area
- 0.0 square miles · 2025 Gazetteer
- Approximate population density
- 999 residents per square mile of land
- Internal point
- 40.525471°, -98.054996° · Census geographic reference point
Density divides the July 2025 estimate by 2025 Gazetteer land area, so it is approximate. The internal point is a locator, not an address. Census place profile reference .
Income and poverty
| Measure / survey universe | City estimate ± MOE | State estimate ± MOE | U.S. estimate ± MOE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income Households · USD/year | $82,500 ±$18,053 | $76,475 ±$633 | $80,734 ±$166 |
| Per-capita income Total population · USD/year | $38,073 ±$4,925 | $41,751 ±$384 | $44,673 ±$122 |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty level | 32 ±16 | 4.1% ±1.9 pp |
Household income combines the incomes of everyone in a household; per-capita income divides all income by every resident. The poverty rate is 4.1% (±1.9 percentage points) under the official Census definition.
Home values, rent and tenure
| Measure / survey universe | City estimate ± MOE | State estimate ± MOE | U.S. estimate ± MOE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median owner-occupied home value Owner-occupied housing units · USD | $141,300 ±$20,977 | $238,600 ±$1,365 | $332,700 ±$236 |
| Median gross rent Renter-occupied units paying cash rent · USD/month | $625 ±$105 | $1,072 ±$8 | $1,413 ±$2 |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Owner occupied | 276 ±44 | 85.7% ±6.6 pp |
| Renter occupied | 46 ±16 | 14.3% ±4.6 pp |
Owner-occupied units make up 85.7% of occupied housing. Gross rent includes estimated tenant-paid utilities and home values are owners’ own estimates; both cover 2020–2024 leases and homes rather than current listings. The median home value is 1.7 times the median household income.
See housing units, occupancy, rent burden and homeowner costs .
Monthly rent by bedroom count
| Bedrooms | Monthly gross rent | 90% margin of error | Precision |
|---|---|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| 1 bedroom | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| 2 bedrooms | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| 3 bedrooms | $738 | ±$167 | Estimate with MOE |
| 4 bedrooms | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| 5 or more bedrooms | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
Census table B25031 describes renter-occupied units paying cash rent within this exact place geography. Gross rent includes contract rent and estimated tenant-paid utilities. These survey medians include existing leases across 2020–2024; they are not current apartment listings. Missing categories stay unavailable, and open-ended medians remain ranges. Small bedroom categories can have large margins of error. Download source values and provenance .
Employment among residents
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force | 420 ±69 | 65.4% ±5.3 pp |
| Not in the labor force | 222 ±48 | 34.6% ±5.6 pp |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian employed | 415 ±68 | 98.8% ±22.9 pp |
| Civilian unemployed | 5 ±5 · low precision | 1.2% ±1.2 pp · low precision |
These estimates describe residents of Clay Center wherever they work; jobs at workplaces inside the city appear under jobs located in Clay Center. They are 2020–2024 averages, not a current monthly unemployment rate.
Which industries employ residents?
Education, health care and social assistance is the largest of the published broad industry groups among employed residents: 23.9% (99 people; ±5.3 percentage points). The estimate covers residents’ industries wherever they work, rather than employers located inside the place.
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting and mining | 74 ±32 | 17.8% ±7.2 pp |
| Construction | 12 ±12 · low precision | 2.9% ±2.9 pp · low precision |
| Manufacturing | 47 ±20 | 11.3% ±4.4 pp |
| Wholesale trade | 15 ±14 · low precision | 3.6% ±3.4 pp · low precision |
| Retail trade | 30 ±14 | 7.2% ±3.2 pp |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 20 ±13 · low precision | 4.8% ±2.9 pp · low precision |
| Information | 6 ±12 · low precision | 1.4% ±2.8 pp · low precision |
| Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing | 12 ±9 · low precision | 2.9% ±2.1 pp · low precision |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste services | 32 ±20 · low precision | 7.7% ±4.6 pp · low precision |
| Education, health care and social assistance | 99 ±27 | 23.9% ±5.3 pp |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services | 5 ±5 · low precision | 1.2% ±1.2 pp · low precision |
| Other services, except public administration | 22 ±18 · low precision | 5.3% ±4.2 pp · low precision |
| Public administration | 41 ±19 | 9.9% ±4.4 pp |
Occupations among employed residents
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Management, business, science and arts | 163 ±37 | 39.3% ±6.3 pp |
| Service occupations | 34 ±17 · low precision | 8.2% ±4.0 pp |
| Sales and office | 82 ±28 | 19.8% ±5.8 pp |
| Natural resources, construction and maintenance | 74 ±25 | 17.8% ±5.3 pp |
| Production, transportation and material moving | 62 ±22 | 14.9% ±4.6 pp |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Management occupations | 55 ±26 | 13.3% ±5.9 pp |
| Computer and mathematical occupations | 0 ±14 · low precision | 0.0% ±3.4 pp · low precision |
| Educational instruction and library occupations | 39 ±14 | 9.4% ±3.0 pp |
| Health practitioners and technical occupations | 23 ±12 · low precision | 5.5% ±2.8 pp · low precision |
| Sales and related occupations | 31 ±15 | 7.5% ±3.4 pp |
| Transportation occupations | 14 ±12 · low precision | 3.4% ±2.8 pp · low precision |
The detailed groups are subsets of the broad groups and should not be added to them.
How residents get to work
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 363 ±67 | 89.2% ±7.0 pp |
| Carpooled | 9 ±8 · low precision | 2.2% ±1.9 pp · low precision |
| Public transportation | 0 ±10 · low precision | 0.0% ±2.5 pp · low precision |
| Taxi or ride-hailing | 0 ±10 · low precision | 0.0% ±2.5 pp · low precision |
| Motorcycle | 0 ±10 · low precision | 0.0% ±2.5 pp · low precision |
| Bicycle | 0 ±10 · low precision | 0.0% ±2.5 pp · low precision |
| Walked | 13 ±8 · low precision | 3.2% ±1.9 pp · low precision |
| Other means | 5 ±6 · low precision | 1.2% ±1.5 pp · low precision |
| Worked from home | 17 ±11 · low precision | 4.2% ±2.6 pp · low precision |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 15 minutes | 179 ±43 | 45.9% ±7.7 pp |
| 15–29 minutes | 106 ±36 | 27.2% ±7.9 pp |
| 30–44 minutes | 86 ±28 | 22.1% ±6.0 pp |
| 45–59 minutes | 4 ±5 · low precision | 1.0% ±1.3 pp · low precision |
| 60 minutes or longer | 15 ±8 · low precision | 3.8% ±2.1 pp · low precision |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| No vehicle available | 13 ±10 · low precision | 4.0% ±3.1 pp · low precision |
Travel times cover workers who did not work from home. Vehicle availability is counted per household, not per driver.
Households and residents
Median age is 38.1 years (±5.8). The demographic profile covers age groups, race and Hispanic origin, household types, nativity, languages, education and moves, each compared with Nebraska and the U.S.
How many jobs are located in Clay Center?
Employers in Clay Center reported 413 jobs in 2023, +51.8% compared with 2019 (272 jobs). That is 56.8 jobs for every 100 residents in the July 2023 population estimate. These are jobs at workplaces inside the city limits, wherever the workers live, unlike resident employment figures.
| Industry | Jobs | Share of local jobs | Nebraska share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educational services | 218 | 52.8% | 9.7% |
| Public administration | 92 | 22.3% | 4.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 23 | 5.6% | 5.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 17 | 4.1% | 14.8% |
| Retail trade | 12 | 2.9% | 10.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 11 | 2.7% | 4.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 9 | 2.2% | 4.2% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 8 | 1.9% | 1.5% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 7 | 1.7% | 5.3% |
| Other services, except public administration | 7 | 1.7% | 2.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 4 | 1.0% | 1.5% |
| Construction | 3 | 0.7% | 6.0% |
| Administrative, support and waste management services | 1 | 0.2% | 5.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1 | 0.2% | 7.9% |
| Group | Jobs | Share | Nebraska share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,250 a month or less | 96 | 23.2% | 19.3% |
| $1,251 to $3,333 a month | 91 | 22.0% | 24.6% |
| More than $3,333 a month | 226 | 54.7% | 56.0% |
| Age 29 or younger | 56 | 13.6% | 24.7% |
| Age 30 to 54 | 216 | 52.3% | 51.4% |
| Age 55 or older | 141 | 34.1% | 24.0% |
Educational services is the largest sector for jobs located in Clay Center (52.8% of local jobs, compared with 9.7% statewide). Earnings bands describe what each job pays per month, not household income, and a worker can hold more than one job.
Source: Census LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) 8.4, workplace area characteristics, all jobs, second-quarter reference date. Census blocks are summed to 2024 place boundaries. Includes private, state and local government and federal civilian jobs; excludes self-employment, military and informal work. Counts include confidentiality noise and are less precise for small places.
Nearby station climate normals
No station in the retained NOAA release meets our complete standard-normal criteria within 25 km of this place’s Census internal point. We leave local climate values unavailable. Use NOAA’s station lookup to inspect other locations and their coverage.
Check a specific address before moving
City averages help compare places. A particular home’s school assignment, transit service and flood-map coverage need checks at the address.
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center — search the address, read the effective map and its date, and check any map changes. An unmapped location does not establish an absence of flood risk.
- NCES public school district directory — find district contact information, then use the district’s official address locator or enrollment office to confirm school assignment. A city name or district boundary alone does not assign a school.
- FCC National Broadband Map — check reported service at the exact location, then confirm availability and terms with the provider.
- Check the official transit operator’s route map and timetable for the address and your actual travel hours; the citywide commuting shares above do not measure service on a particular street.
Sources and data notes
Population: Census PEP Vintage 2025, published May 14, 2026. Survey measures: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates, published January 29, 2026, dollar figures in 2024 dollars. Geography: Census 2025 Gazetteer, with simplified 2024 state outlines for the locator. Statistical estimates and derived values use the same retained records in profiles, comparison, filters and downloads.
Climate uses NOAA 1991–2020 station normals (v1.0.1); jobs located in the city use LEHD LODES 8.4. Crime, school assignments and hazard scores are not inferred from these datasets, and missing values are never treated as zero. Inspect original sources, read calculation details, download this place’s source observations , or submit a correction.