Map the Block › Places › North Carolina › Clay County
Clay County, North Carolina in numbers: crime, income, hazards
The violent-crime rate in Clay County was 1.1 per 1,000 residents (2021-2025 average, FBI), 71% lower than the statewide rate (3.8). Median household income is $56,971 and the unemployment rate was 3.4% in August 2026. About 11,610 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Clay County?
Police agencies in Clay County reported an average of 13 violent crimes and 150 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 1.1: 71% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8), and 70% lower than the national rate (3.7). Property crime ran at 12.6 per 1,000, against 20.0 statewide. With this few incidents, one or two cases move the rate a lot from year to year.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Clay County | Per 1,000 | North Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 13 | 1.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.00 | 0.08 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 3 | 0.26 | 0.29 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0.00 | 0.51 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 10 | 0.86 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 150 | 12.6 | 20.0 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 52 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 85 | 7.3 | 14.2 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 14 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (1 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Clay County?
Half of households in Clay County make more than $56,971 and half make less; across North Carolina the midpoint is $72,388. Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $278,400, and the median rent is $804 a month. 11.2% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.4% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 157 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Clay County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,610 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $56,971 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $278,400 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $804 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 2.6% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 12.9% | 13.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 11.2% | 12.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 31.8% | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 81.2% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 55.0 | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 83.3% | 90.1% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 15.9% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Clay County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Clay County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Clay County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
Clay County has 6 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 1 is rated Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Chatuge Dam (150 ft) and Mission (50 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Disasters, air and water
Clay County was covered by 1 federal major disaster declaration from 2016 through 2025 (Tropical Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 5 community water systems, 1 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 5 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Clay County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 15 highway work zones in Clay County (1 active that day). Roads listed: US 64 BUS. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Clay County?
Federal school lists show 4 public and 1 private schools in the county. 1 nursing home is certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 5 fire or EMS stations and 1 police or sheriff station.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Clay County?
1 ancient or sacred site is on the map here: Standing Indian Mountain. Many are sacred to living communities, so visit respectfully and follow posted rules.
See them on the map: sacred sites →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Clay County
Gun shops
One gun shop with a public storefront is on the map in Clay County, plus 4 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Shooters Exchange (Hayesville).
Liquor stores
One liquor store is on the map in Clay County: Clay County Abc Store (Hayesville). North Carolina has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Clay County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Clay County?
Clay County averaged 13 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 1.1 per 1,000 residents, 71% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8). The property-crime rate was 12.6 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Clay County?
$56,971 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Clay County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.4% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 157 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Clay County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Clay County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
Is there road construction in Clay County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 15 highway work zones in Clay County (1 active that day). Roads listed: US 64 BUS.
How many nursing homes are in Clay County?
1 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Clay County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County | 29,562 | 3.1 | $53,628 |
| Macon County | 37,941 | 1.2 | $59,061 |
| Rabun County, GA | 17,312 | 1.2 | $67,493 |
| Towns County, GA | 12,913 | 1.3 | $59,135 |
| Union County, GA | 26,304 | 0.55 | $66,176 |
More: North Carolina statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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