City profile · Delaware · Census ACS 2023

Clayton, DE

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Clayton — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

4,086
Residents
$103,211
Median income
$343,700
Median home
$1,560
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Clayton, DE

Clayton is a city in Delaware with a population of 4,086 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $103,211 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 3.2%. Typical homes in Clayton are valued around $343,700, and the median resident age is 36.5 years. About 28.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 67.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 13 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 74% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 616.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Delaware registers 99.8 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,560 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $243 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 91.3 out of 100 (Very High).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

4,086 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Delaware

Median Household Income

$103,211 /yr

Poverty 3.2%

Cost of Living Index

99.8 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Clayton compare to other US cities?

Where Clayton sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 80% higher than other cities
Home value 71% pricier than other cities
Median rent 78% pricier than other cities
Safety 80% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Clayton against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Clayton, DE Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Clayton, DE. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Clayton, DE — median $103,211/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Clayton, DE — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 28.7%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.2%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 67.8%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
4,086
Median Income
$103,211
Median Home Value
$343,700
Median Age
36.5
Poverty Rate
3.2%
Labor force participation
67.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
28.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
616.1
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
110.0
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
506.1
per 1,000 residents

Schools

Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
13
housing units authorized
Single-Family
13
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 50
2020 29
2021 94
2022 70
2023 43
2024 13

Permit volume decreased 74% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
69.1%
Carpool
22.2%
Public Transit
0.6%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
8.0%

Based on 1,855 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Delaware — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$243
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Delaware state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Delaware state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
99.8
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,560/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
91.3 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Clayton, DE Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Clayton, DE — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Clayton compares to nearby Delaware cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Clayton) plus the nearest peer cities in Delaware, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

DE

Clayton

103.21% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$103,211
Brackets
4
Selected

DE

Laurel

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$400
Brackets
4
Selected

DE

Camden

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$400
Brackets
4
Selected

DE

Rising Sun-Lebanon

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$420
Brackets
4
Census ACS 5-year FIPS DE FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Clayton, DE?

What is the population of Clayton, DE? +

Clayton, DE has a population of 4,086 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Clayton, DE? +

The median household income in Clayton is $103,211 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Clayton? +

Clayton has a cost of living index of 99.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Clayton, DE safe? +

Clayton has a total crime rate of 616.1 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Clayton, DE? +

The median home value in Clayton is $343,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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