County · Minnesota

Clay County, Minnesota

Clay County, Minnesota. Clay County had 67,734 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.7% since 2020, faster than Minnesota (+2.2%). It holds 42 places (11 cities, villages and boroughs, 30 towns and townships and 1 census-designated) and 16 census tracts. GEOID 27027.

Clay County is one of the 2 counties of the Fargo, ND-MN metropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

67,734

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 65,318 · ACS 2020-2024: 66,059

Median household income

$81,172

±$2,856 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062

Median home value

$265,500

±$7,783 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300

Median gross rent

$1,019

±$45 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280

How many people live in Clay County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 65,318 residents in Clay County. The Census Bureau estimates 67,734 for July 1, 2025, up 3.7% since 2020, faster than Minnesota (+2.2%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 66,059 over 1,045 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 +317 (65,675)
2021→2022 +458 (66,133)
2022→2023 +448 (66,581)
2023→2024 +758 (67,339)
2024→2025 +395 (67,734)

Clay County in Minnesota. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Clay County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	66,059	5,739,445	+2,613
Households	26,442±270	2,307,955	+2,078
Average household size	2.38±0.02	2.43	−0.08
Housing units	27,559±64	2,545,030	+1,103

Clay County's population since 2000

From 51,229 in 2000 to 67,734 in 2025: up 32.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

2000 Census 51,229
2005 (estimate) 54,122
2010 Census 58,999
2015 (estimate) 62,235
2020 Census 65,318
2025 (estimate) 67,734

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Clay County?

Clay County holds 42 places: 11 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 30 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 1 census-designated place. The largest is Moorhead with 46,533 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Clay County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Moorhead	city	44,505	45,036±68	$72,761	$249,000	16.1%	100%
Dilworth	city	4,612	4,713±21	$90,694	$261,800	15.1%	100%
Barnesville	city	2,759	2,762±34	$97,917	$248,700	1.8%	100%
Hawley	city	2,219	2,178±303	$99,188	$280,400	4.6%	100%
Glyndon	city	1,306	1,098±197	$95,313	$264,800	8.0%	100%
Eglon Township	township	708	698±127	$138,750	$417,900	1.6%	100%
Sabin	city	619	718±159	$128,500	$265,700	0.7%	100%
Parke Township	township	526	519±98	$101,250	$414,900	0.6%	100%
Oakport Township	township	506	448±67	$114,519	$425,000	2.9%	100%
Spring Prairie TownshipGEOID 2702762032	township	506	394±85	$86,250	$305,600	22.3%	100%
Hawley Township	township	491	636±141	$116,607	$402,400	0.5%	100%
Ulen	city	476	413±116	$60,556	$174,300	24.4%	100%
Riverton Township	township	435	530±113	$107,656	$388,500	5.7%	100%
Elmwood Township	township	415	433±89	$96,000	$340,900	9.9%	100%
Cromwell Township	township	388	458±88	$126,667	$351,100	1.5%	100%
Glyndon TownshipGEOID 2702724200	township	317	475±257	$110,000	$307,100	2.9%	100%
Elkton Township	township	317	354±121	$106,250	$331,500	8.5%	100%
Humboldt Township	township	280	272±55	$102,500	$344,400	0.0%	100%
Highland Grove TownshipGEOID 2702728988	township	274	258±62	$99,286	$335,200	2.7%	100%
Tansem Township	township	269	233±56	$105,625	$317,500	7.3%	100%
Kragnes Township	township	255	218±37	$104,792	$371,400	8.4%	100%
Kurtz TownshipGEOID 2702733812	township	253	246±88	$138,750	$385,200	0.0%	100%
Moland Township	township	252	341±70	$118,750	$346,500	7.4%	100%
Alliance TownshipGEOID 2702701054	township	203	193±49	$98,750	$235,400	0.0%	100%
Goose Prairie TownshipGEOID 2702724542	township	200	142±45	$110,625	$322,700	11.3%	100%
HitterdalGEOID 2729402	city	199	314±98	$48,750	$151,600	14.3%	100%
Moorhead TownshipGEOID 2702743882	township	184	149±55	$156,696	$407,100	0.0%	100%
Barnesville TownshipGEOID 2702703592	township	181	178±49	$113,750	$309,500	3.9%	100%
Felton	city	177	186±50	$40,000	$157,700	18.4%	100%
Skree TownshipGEOID 2702760718	township	177	156±47	$97,250	$300,000	3.8%	100%
Ulen TownshipGEOID 2702766154	township	173	206±71	$97,188	$280,800	5.8%	100%
Keene TownshipGEOID 2702732552	township	153	153±60	$101,250	$237,500	1.3%	100%
Morken TownshipGEOID 2702744170	township	151	111±37	$103,750	$342,900	10.8%	100%
Georgetown TownshipGEOID 2702723516	township	135	116±37	$95,000	$333,300	7.8%	100%
Hagen TownshipGEOID 2702726504	township	128	179±91	$113,333	$395,000	10.6%	100%
Holy Cross TownshipGEOID 2702729906	township	113	95±29	$122,188	$442,900	1.1%	100%
ComstockGEOID 2712862	city	100	100±46	$76,250	$162,500	1.0%	100%
Viding TownshipGEOID 2702767054	township	98	28±11	not published	not published	25.0%	100%
Flowing TownshipGEOID 2702721482	township	89	143±70	$122,000	$315,600	10.5%	100%
GeorgetownGEOID 2723498	city	86	72±27	$41,750	$115,000	16.7%	100%
Felton TownshipGEOID 2702720852	township	83	107±52	$89,375	$236,100	7.5%	100%
BakerGEOID 2703214	CDP	45	52±31	$101,250	$160,000	0.0%	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Clay County?

The median resident of Clay County is 33.7 years old; 24.7% are under 18 and 14.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.0%. 4.2% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Clay County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	33.7±0.3	38.8	+1.1
Under 18 years	24.7%	22.9%	–
65 years and over	14.0%±0.1 pts	17.3%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	5.0%	6.4%	+0.5 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	83.5%±0.3 pts	75.9%	−3.7 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	4.6%±0.5 pts	6.9%	+1.0 pts
Asian alone, not Hispanic	1.6%±0.3 pts	5.1%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.7%±0.2 pts	0.7%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	4.4%±0.6 pts	4.5%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.2%±0.2 pts	0.5%	–
Born outside the United States	4.2%±0.8 pts	8.7%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	6.9%±1.1 pts	12.4%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	5.5%±0.6 pts	5.9%	–
With a disability	12.8%±1.0 pts	11.6%	–
No health insurance coverage	4.0%±0.6 pts	4.7%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	95.3%±0.6 pts	93.9%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	39.3%±1.8 pts	39.4%	+5.1 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	12.5%±1.3 pts	13.8%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	4.6%±0.8 pts	1.8%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Clay County earn?

Half of Clay County's 26,442 households earn less than $81,172 a year (±$2,856), against $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $80,326 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.3% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Clay County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$81,172±$2,856	$89,062	no clear change
Mean household income	$99,798±$3,018	$118,304	–
Per capita income	$39,936±$1,188	$48,237	+$2,070
People below the poverty line	13.3%±1.5 pts	9.3%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	12.9%±3.8 pts	10.3%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	9.9%±1.4 pts	7.9%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	89.8%±1.4 pts	91.6%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Clay County?

Owners occupy 65.9% of Clay County's occupied homes and renters 34.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $265,500 by its owner (±$7,783). The median renter pays $1,019 a month including utilities, and 44.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Clay County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$265,500±$7,783	$329,300	+$22,930
Median gross rent	$1,019±$45	$1,280	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	44.1%±4.3 pts	38.4%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,827±$38	$1,947	–
Owner-occupied homes	65.9%±1.9 pts	72.2%	no clear change
Housing units	27,559±64	2,545,030	+1,103
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.5%±0.5 pts	0.6%	–
Rental vacancy rate	5.2%±2.4 pts	5.3%	–
Single-family detached homes	59.7%±1.8 pts	66.0%	–
Mobile homes	2.2%±0.5 pts	2.9%	–
Built 2020 or later	2.7%±0.9 pts	1.9%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	10.1%±1.0 pts	15.6%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Clay County building?

Builders took permits for 344 new housing units across Clay County in 2025 (153 single-family), 5.1 per 1,000 residents.

2019 268 units
2020 310 units
2021 483 units
2022 257 units
2023 402 units
2024 269 units
2025 344 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Clay County get to work?

74.5% of Clay County's workers drive alone and 11.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 4.1%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Clay County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	70.3%±1.1 pts	68.1%	–
Unemployment rate	4.1%±0.9 pts	4.1%	+1.3 pts
Drove alone to work	74.5%±1.8 pts	68.9%	–
Carpooled	7.4%±1.0 pts	7.5%	–
Public transportation	1.8%±0.7 pts	1.8%	–
Walked	3.3%±0.6 pts	2.5%	–
Worked from home	11.8%±1.1 pts	17.6%	+4.7 pts
Mean travel time to work	19.7 min±0.8	22.7 min	no clear change

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What are Clay County's census tracts?

Clay County is divided into 16 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $33,175 (Tract 204) to $118,281 (Tract 301.06).

Census tracts of Clay County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 20327027020300	Moorhead	3,003	3,314±364	$53,000	$213,000	$1,114	19.7%
Tract 20427027020400	Moorhead	3,875	4,242±331	$33,175	$235,700	$907	46.2%
Tract 20527027020500	Moorhead	5,122	5,085±522	$87,500	$278,200	$917	16.0%
Tract 20627027020600	Moorhead	4,384	4,319±575	$67,754	$238,700	$905	21.2%
Tract 20727027020700	Moorhead	2,638	2,539±281	$61,163	$177,900	$623	8.8%
Tract 301.0627027030106	Moorhead (85%)	2,123	1,999±259	$118,281	$343,700	$1,125	5.8%
Tract 301.0727027030107	Felton (5%)	1,667	1,598±121	$100,250	$316,100	$608	8.4%
Tract 301.0827027030108	Moorhead (98%)	5,695	5,609±456	$58,132	$291,900	$1,000	22.1%
Tract 301.0927027030109	Moorhead (98%)	3,890	3,837±401	$81,000	$280,500	$1,571	10.8%
Tract 301.1027027030110	Moorhead (17%)	5,567	5,820±527	$114,076	$315,400	$1,365	5.9%
Tract 301.1127027030111	Glyndon (21%)	5,016	5,309±502	$100,074	$316,000	$1,115	9.8%
Tract 301.1227027030112	Dilworth (90%)	4,648	4,766±42	$90,667	$262,600	$1,085	15.0%
Tract 302.0127027030201	Hawley (20%)	5,915	6,177±341	$99,451	$313,100	$777	7.2%
Tract 302.0227027030202	Barnesville (28%)	5,014	4,974±220	$102,238	$289,800	$843	2.5%
Tract 30327027030300	Moorhead (98%)	4,045	3,943±473	$61,667	$202,600	$1,112	17.5%
Tract 30427027030400	Moorhead (93%)	2,716	2,528±373	$101,445	$249,100	$985	6.5%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Clay County compare with Minnesota's other counties?

Clay County's rank among Minnesota's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	16th of 87
Growth 2020-2025	17th of 87
Residents per square mile	24th of 87
Median household income	19th of 87
Median home value	28th of 87
Median gross rent	20th of 87
Poverty rate	9th of 87
Bachelor's degree or higher	9th of 87
Median age	86th of 87

Every county in Minnesota

Source: PlainCities ranks from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Clay County are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.