The Town Files

Clay County, Nebraska

6,095 people. The median home is worth $155,600 (typical Nebraska town: $154,800) and the median household earns $78,986.

Towns in Clay County

Towns in Clay County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Sutton1,447$155,600$81,31348.0
Harvard951$102,100$66,00036.0
Clay Center735$141,300$82,50038.1

People and housing

Clay CountyTypical Nebraska town
Median home value$155,600$154,800
Median rent$645$818
Median household income$78,986$66,320
Median age39.139.5
Bachelor's degree or higher22.3%22.4%
Below the poverty line6.9%9.9%

Jobs and pay

2,077 jobs in 2024, average pay $51,771 a year.

Largest industries in Clay CountyConstruction219 jobs · $63,494Wholesale trade188 jobs · $59,556Health care & social assistan…175 jobs · $33,234Retail160 jobs · $39,195Manufacturing87 jobs · $52,859Hotels & restaurants40 jobs · $15,151
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Clay County0%2%4%6%2000200420082012201620202023 2.4%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 712 storm events in Clay County from 1996 to 2026.

Storm events in Clay County by type since 1996Hail234Drought46Tornado22Blizzard13High Wind36Ice Storm7Heavy Rain31Flash Flood8Winter Storm55Winter Weather43
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Clay County has been included in 19 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
May 21, 2025Winter StormDR-4868: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds
September 24, 2024Severe StormDR-4822: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
September 6, 2021Severe StormDR-4616: Severe Storms And Straight-Line Winds
April 4, 2020BiologicalDR-4521: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3483: Covid-19
March 21, 2019FloodDR-4420: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).