CLAY County, MN

Clay County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 65,318. Its county seat is Moorhead.

Clay County is part of the Fargo, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county was formed on March 8, 1862, although its government was not organized at that time. In 1872, the organization was effected. It was named for nineteenth-century political figure Henry Clay, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky, and US Secretary of State. The county was originally called Breckenridge, but soon (in 1862) was changed to Clay.

Geography

Clay County lies on the western side of Minnesota. Its western boundary line abuts the eastern boundary line of the state of North Dakota (across the Red River). The Red River flows northward along the western boundary line of the county, on its way to the Hudson Bay in Canada. The Buffalo River flows west-northwesterly through the center of the county, joined by the South Branch Buffalo River west of Glyndon, before discharging into the Red on the county's western border near Georgetown. The terrain consists of rolling hills, dotted with lakes and ponds in its eastern portion. The terrain slopes to the west and north, with its highest point near the southeastern corner, at 1,430' (436m) ASL. The county has a total area of , of which are land and (0.7%) are covered by water.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Moorhead have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1887 and a record high of was recorded in July 1936, the latter also the highest recorded temperature in the history of Minnesota. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.

Demographics

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 51,229 people, 18,670 households, and 12,340 families in the county. The population density was 49.0/sqmi (18.9/km²). There were 19,746 housing units at an average density of 18.9/sqmi (7.30/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.99% White, 0.52% Black or African American, 1.44% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. 3.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 40.4% were of Norwegian and 26.8% German ancestry.

There were 18,670 households, out of which 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.90% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.90% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.07.

The county population contained 25.00% under the age of 18, 17.10% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 19.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,889, and the median income for a family was $49,192. Males had a median income of $34,176 versus $23,149 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,557. About 7.40% of families and 13.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.30% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.

Government and Politics

In national elections, Clay County has been a swing district for several decades. From 1992 to 2020, it has voted for the winner of the presidential election.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Townships

thumb|Age pyramid of county residents based on

In popular culture

Clay County is featured as a setting of the "WORLD'S WEIRDEST ANIMALS" episode of Gemini Home Entertainment, an analog horror web series on YouTube.