Housing data for Clay, WV
Clay, WV has an estimated 378 residents and 282 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Clay County.
77.6% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $665 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−46.5%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 378 (±241)
- Housing units
- 282 (±112)
- Households that rent
- 77.6%
- Median gross rent
- $665
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −46.5%
What stands out in Clay
Households without a vehicle: 58.6% (±31.8 points) in Clay, higher than in Clay County (10.3%).
Households that rent: 77.6% (±19.1 points) in Clay, higher than in Clay County (24.0%).
Homes built before 1980: 84.7% (±26.3 points) in Clay, higher than in Clay County (40.5%).
Median home value: $44,300 (±$21,944) in Clay, lower than in Clay County ($109,100).
Housing in Clay at a glance
- Median rent: $665 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $672 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 87.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 77.6% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Home values: $44,300 median home value (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Homeowner costs: $767 median monthly cost with a mortgage (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Types of homes: 11.7% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 19.5% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 84.7% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 5.6% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 80.9% heat with utility gas (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Commute and cars: 22.8 minutes average trip to work (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Growth: −46.5% residents since 2015–2019 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- How long people stay: 13.8% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 49.3% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Clay against Clay County, its state and the nation
| Clay | Clay County | West Virginia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 378 (±241) | 7,835 (exact) | 1,778,373 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 282 (±112) | 3,961 (±13) | 861,325 (±394) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 77.6% (±19.1 points) | 24.0% (±5.9 points) | 25.1% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $665 (±$120) | $651 (±$80) | $872 (±$8) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | — | $42,318 (±$10,911) | $59,608 (±$691) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $44,300 (±$21,944) | $109,100 (±$17,906) | $162,600 (±$1,346) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | — | $377 (±$51) | $865 (±$9) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 84.7% (±26.3 points) | 40.5% (±6.6 points) | 55.9% (±0.6 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 22.8 minutes (±13.7) | 45.4 minutes (±5.9) | 26.6 minutes (±0.3) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 80.9% (±16.4 points) | 84.0% (±4.0 points) | 86.1% (±0.3 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 30.4 years (±3.9) | 45.4 years (±0.6) | 42.7 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Clay covers 0.6 square miles of land, about 677 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Clay has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 706 (±219) | 378 (±241) | −46.5% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 326 (±66) | 282 (±112) | −13.5% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $572 (±$58) | $665 (±$120) | +16.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $60,000 (±$33,938) | $44,300 (±$21,944) | −26.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $987 (±$165) | $767 (±$260) | −22.3% | Down after inflation |
| Households that rent | 49.8% (±17.2 points) | 77.6% (±19.1 points) | +27.8 percentage points | Measurable increase |
| Rental vacancy rate | 17.4% (±16.1 points) | 5.6% (±10.3 points) | −11.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Places near Clay
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clendenin | 15 mi | $820 | $116,300 | 22.0% |
| Summersville | 18 mi | $395 | $230,000 | 32.3% |
| Gauley Bridge | 21 mi | $472 | $66,500 | 38.3% |
| Pinch | 22 mi | $916 | $221,500 | 29.6% |
| Gassaway | 22 mi | $463 | $94,400 | 40.7% |
| Ansted | 23 mi | $988 | $68,700 | 28.1% |
| Smithers | 23 mi | $663 | $76,500 | 24.1% |
| Montgomery | 24 mi | $671 | $133,000 | 62.9% |
HUD Fair Market Rent for Clay, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $730 | $844 | $1,048 | $1,324 | $1,377 |
HUD income limits for Clay, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $17,000 | $28,300 | $45,300 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $32,350 | $51,750 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $36,400 | $58,200 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $40,400 | $64,650 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $43,650 | $69,850 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $46,900 | $75,000 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $50,100 | $80,200 |
| 8 people | $53,350 | $53,350 | $85,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Charleston, WV HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $80,800.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Clay
What is the average rent in Clay, WV?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Clay is $665 (±$120) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
Are renters in Clay rent-burdened?
87.1% of renting households in Clay pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Clay?
Clay, WV has an estimated 282 (±112) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the most common home size in Clay?
The most common size is 2 bedrooms, 54.6% of homes in Clay, WV.
How old are most homes in Clay?
84.7% of homes in Clay, WV were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Clay growing?
In Clay, the number of residents went from 706 in 2015–2019 to 378 in 2020–2024 (−46.5%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Clay town, West Virginia
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Clay town, West Virginia
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Clay town, West Virginia
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Clay town, West Virginia
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Clay town, West Virginia
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Clay town, West Virginia
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Clay town, West Virginia
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Charleston, WV HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Charleston, WV HUD Metro FMR Area
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Clay town, West Virginia (place:15676, in state:54).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .