The Town Files

Clay, Pennsylvania

Township in Butler County · population 2,551 (2020 Census)

Map: where Clay is in PennsylvaniaClay
Median home
$232,800
Household income
$83,661
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 81°
Snow a year
34 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
15
Median age
47.3

Clay is a township of 2,551 people in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $232,800, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 99% of Pennsylvania towns, quieter than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Clay ranks

Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.

Clay lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement59th pctFamilies66th pctQuiet90th pctWalkability14th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals27th pctVibrancy24th pctHip & trendy22nd pctCollege town53rd pctUpscale26th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving99th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Clay is worth $232,800, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $83,661, which is more affordable than 53% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $863 a month. 88.6% of households own their home.

Clay vs Butler County vs typical Pennsylvania townClayButler CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$232,800$294,200$214,250Household income$83,661$89,843$75,278Monthly rent$863$1,041$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingClayTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$232,800$214,250
Median rent$863$996
Median household income$83,661$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.8×2.8×
Homeownership88.6%81.5%
Median year built19801971
Seasonal / vacation homes4.7%—

Who lives in Clay

PeopleClayTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age47.344.2
Age 65 and over19.5%21.1%
Under 1816.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher19.7%23.8%
Below the poverty line7.2%8.5%
Veterans5.4%—
Born outside the U.S.0.1%—
Work from home8.5%10.6%
Average commute29.5 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband93.4%89.0%

Weather in Clay

July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 16.8°F. About 45.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 33.6 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 142 nights at or below freezing.

Clay monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing33°17°Jan37°18°Feb46°25°Mar59°35°Apr69°45°May77°54°Jun81°58°Jul80°56°Aug74°50°Sep62°39°Oct49°31°Nov38°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.511.12.79.33.45.03.90.54.14.84.64.04.13.50.13.51.03.26.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Slippery Rock 1 Ssw station (8.1 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Clay since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 1, 1954 about 8.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 14, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Clay by decade11950s01960s21970s01980s11990s32000s22010s62020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 38 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 14, 2024.

Severe weather in Butler County since 1996

Storm events in Butler County since 1996 by typeHail170Flood40Tornado19High Wind17Ice Storm11Heavy Snow15Flash Flood77Strong Wind7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Butler County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Butler County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
April 16, 2010SnowstormDR-1898: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms
September 10, 2005HurricaneEM-3235: Hurricane Katrina

Jobs and pay in Butler County

Butler County had 88,461 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $65,579 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Clay itself the ACS puts it at 3.9%.

Largest industries in Butler CountyHealth care & social assistan…13,924 jobs · $58,407Retail10,837 jobs · $37,650Manufacturing10,799 jobs · $84,267Hotels & restaurants7,681 jobs · $23,001Company management4,638 jobs · $132,748Wholesale trade4,548 jobs · $84,944
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Butler County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Butler 3.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Clay

Clay questions

Is Clay, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Clay scores better for retirees than 59% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 90%. 19.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.3).

How much does a house cost in Clay?

The median owner-occupied home in Clay is valued at $232,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $83,661, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $863 a month.

What is the weather like in Clay?

July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 16.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.2 inches of precipitation a year and 33.6 inches of snow.

Does Clay get tornadoes?

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Clay since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 1, 1954. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Clay's Census boundary (GEOID 4201913936). Comparisons use the median of Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.