Clay County | |
|---|---|
 West Point City Hall atWest Point Central City Historic District. | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMississippi | |
 Mississippi's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:33°39′N88°46′W / 33.65°N 88.77°W /33.65; -88.77 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1871 |
| Named after | Henry Clay |
| Seat | West Point |
| Largest city | West Point |
| Area | |
• Total | 416 sq mi (1,080 km2) |
| • Land | 410 sq mi (1,100 km2) |
| • Water | 5.9 sq mi (15 km2) 1.4% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 18,636 |
• Estimate (2023) | 18,206 |
| • Density | 45/sq mi (17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Clay County is acounty in theU.S. state ofMississippi. As of the2020 United States census, the population was 18,636.[1] Itscounty seat isWest Point.[2] Its name is in honor of American statesmanHenry Clay,[3] member of theUnited States Senate fromKentucky andUnited States Secretary of State in the 19th century.J. Wesley Caradine, an African American, was the first state representative for Clay County after it was established in 1871.[4] The federal government formerly designated Clay County as the West PointMicropolitan Statistical Area, but the county lost that status in 2013.[5] It is part of theGolden Triangle region of the state.[6]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 416 square miles (1,080 km2), of which 410 square miles (1,100 km2) is land and 5.9 square miles (15 km2) (1.4%) is water.[7]
U.S. Route 45 Alternate
Mississippi Highway 25
Mississippi Highway 46
Mississippi Highway 47
Mississippi Highway 50| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 17,367 | — | |
| 1890 | 18,607 | 7.1% | |
| 1900 | 19,563 | 5.1% | |
| 1910 | 20,203 | 3.3% | |
| 1920 | 17,490 | −13.4% | |
| 1930 | 17,931 | 2.5% | |
| 1940 | 19,030 | 6.1% | |
| 1950 | 17,757 | −6.7% | |
| 1960 | 18,933 | 6.6% | |
| 1970 | 18,840 | −0.5% | |
| 1980 | 21,082 | 11.9% | |
| 1990 | 21,120 | 0.2% | |
| 2000 | 21,979 | 4.1% | |
| 2010 | 20,634 | −6.1% | |
| 2020 | 18,636 | −9.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 18,206 | [8] | −2.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2013[13] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 7,196 | 38.61% |
| Black or African American | 10,785 | 57.87% |
| Native American | 35 | 0.19% |
| Asian | 57 | 0.31% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 376 | 2.02% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 186 | 1.0% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 18,636 people, 7,618 households, and 4,841 families residing in the county.
As of the2010 United States census, there were 20,634 people living in the county. 58.2% wereBlack or African American, 40.5%White, 0.2%Asian, 0.1%Native American, 0.3% of some other race and 0.6%of two or more races. 1.0% wereHispanic or Latino (of any race).
As of thecensus[15] of 2000, there were 21,979 people, 8,152 households, and 5,885 families living in the county. Thepopulation density was 54 people per square mile (21 people/km2). There were 8,810 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (8.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 56.33%Black orAfrican American, 42.82%White, 0.05%Native American, 0.16%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.21% fromother races, and 0.42% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
According to thecensus[15] of 2000, the largest ancestry groups in Clay County wereAfrican 56.3%,English 35% andScots-Irish 4.5%.
There were 8,152 households, out of which 35.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.80% weremarried couples living together, 22.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.80% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.80% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 26.50% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 89.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,372, and the median income for a family was $35,461. Males had a median income of $30,038 versus $19,473 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,512. About 19.20% of families and 23.50% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 34.20% of those under age 18 and 21.90% of those age 65 or over.
Clay County has asheriff law enforcement system.
Clay County is within the service area of theEast Mississippi Community College system.[16]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 4,017 | 44.35% | 4,960 | 54.76% | 80 | 0.88% |
| 2020 | 4,181 | 41.03% | 5,844 | 57.36% | 164 | 1.61% |
| 2016 | 4,150 | 41.49% | 5,722 | 57.20% | 131 | 1.31% |
| 2012 | 4,291 | 38.76% | 6,712 | 60.62% | 69 | 0.62% |
| 2008 | 4,466 | 40.26% | 6,558 | 59.12% | 68 | 0.61% |
| 2004 | 4,342 | 47.50% | 4,753 | 52.00% | 46 | 0.50% |
| 2000 | 3,570 | 43.72% | 4,515 | 55.30% | 80 | 0.98% |
| 1996 | 2,948 | 38.97% | 4,267 | 56.41% | 349 | 4.61% |
| 1992 | 3,297 | 38.50% | 4,620 | 53.95% | 646 | 7.54% |
| 1988 | 3,645 | 48.26% | 3,849 | 50.96% | 59 | 0.78% |
| 1984 | 4,112 | 50.23% | 4,046 | 49.42% | 29 | 0.35% |
| 1980 | 3,439 | 43.18% | 4,275 | 53.68% | 250 | 3.14% |
| 1976 | 3,017 | 44.13% | 3,514 | 51.40% | 306 | 4.48% |
| 1972 | 4,035 | 71.39% | 1,410 | 24.95% | 207 | 3.66% |
| 1968 | 494 | 8.97% | 1,510 | 27.41% | 3,505 | 63.62% |
| 1964 | 2,848 | 92.65% | 226 | 7.35% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 451 | 19.01% | 626 | 26.39% | 1,295 | 54.60% |
| 1956 | 410 | 18.25% | 1,225 | 54.52% | 612 | 27.24% |
| 1952 | 1,077 | 46.68% | 1,230 | 53.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 22 | 1.30% | 59 | 3.50% | 1,605 | 95.20% |
| 1944 | 109 | 8.60% | 1,158 | 91.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 103 | 7.71% | 1,232 | 92.22% | 1 | 0.07% |
| 1936 | 32 | 2.46% | 1,271 | 97.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 34 | 2.42% | 1,371 | 97.44% | 2 | 0.14% |
| 1928 | 128 | 8.08% | 1,456 | 91.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 82 | 6.73% | 1,136 | 93.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 48 | 5.84% | 771 | 93.80% | 3 | 0.36% |
| 1916 | 27 | 3.14% | 832 | 96.74% | 1 | 0.12% |
| 1912 | 4 | 0.60% | 628 | 93.45% | 40 | 5.95% |
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Municipalities and communities ofClay County, Mississippi,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
33°39′N88°46′W / 33.65°N 88.77°W /33.65; -88.77
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
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