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General Demographics

Total Population, 2022
11,6141
Population Change, April 2020 - July 2022
5291
Projected 2050 Population
14,7712
Under 18 Years Old
1,7671
Age 18-64 Years
5,9601
Age 65+ Years
3,8871
Median Age
54.13

Race / Ethnicity 3

White
91.72%3
Black/African American
0.98%3
Native American
1.09%3
Asian/Pacific Islander
1.27%3
Hispanic/Latino
3.86%3
Multi-Racial
1.07%3
Other Single Race
0.00%3
Sources

Financial Stability

Residents Below Federal Poverty Level, 2022
13.6%4
Median Household Income, 2022
$57,6984
Sources

Housing

Cost-Burdened Households (Spend 30% of Household Income on Housing)
29.0%5
Typical Home Value (July, 2023)
$318,7836
Median Gross Rent, 2 Bedroom Unit
$8375
Sources

Education

4-Year County High School Graduation Rate
88.4%7
Postsecondary Enrollment
54%8
Postsecondary Attainment (25-44 Year Olds With a Postsecondary Degree/Credential)
56.2%8
Sources

Employment

2024 County Economic Distress Tier
29
Total Workforce Employed, 2022
4,02310
Total Workforce Unemployed, 2022
16710
Average Weekly Wage, 2022
$81511
Residents Working in Home County
58.3%12
Labor Force Participation Rate
46.9%12
Unemployment Rate (Annual Average), 2022
4.0%13
Annual Living Wage - 1 Adult, 1 Child Household (Pre-Tax)
$67,41014
Avgerage Employment Change, 2012-22
182 (9% Growth)11
Gross Domestic Product, 2022 (Thousands of Dollars)
$262,63215
Top Industry By Employment, 2021
Retail Trade (379 Employees)16
Top Employer in County, 2022
Clay County Board of Education (100-249 Employees)11
Sources

Health

Residents Uninsured
15.3%17
County Health Outcomes Rank
3618
Food Insecurity Rate, 2021
14.3%19
Primary Care Physicians Per 10K Residents, 2022
2.6320
Overdose Deaths Per 100 Thousand Residents, 2021
71.221
Life Expectancy
78.118
Sources

Broadband

Households Without Computing Device (Laptop, Smartphone, etc.)
12.2%22
Broadband Availability Index Score, 2021
57.823
Households without an Internet Subscription
20.6%22
Sources

Infrastructure

Designation of Water/Wastewater System as Distressed
No24

**Distressed is defined as a “public water system or wastewater system operated by a local government unit exhibiting signs of failure to identify or address those financial or operating needs necessary to enable that system to become or to remain a local government unit generating sufficient revenues to adequately fund management and operations, personnel, appropriate levels of maintenance, and reinvestment that facilitate the provision of reliable water or wastewater services” per Session Law 2020-79.**

Sources

Small Business: Statewide Data

Small businesses make up 99.6% of all NC Businesses.25

44.5% of all North Carolinians are small business employees.25

Business Ownership

Business Ownership - Women
44.8%25
Business Ownership - Veterans
8.0%25
Business Ownership - People of Color
20.8%25

Business Creation

2020
126,60026
2021
178,30026
2022
171,40026

Business Revenue

2019
$125,700,00026
2020
$141,400,00026
2021
$159,200,00026

Employment Data

Small Business Employment Change, March 2020 - March 2021
Net decrease of 11,762 jobs25
Small Business Establishment Change, March 2020 - March 2021
Net increase of 14,936 businesses25

Agriculture

Farms
45,00027
Acres of Farmland
8,300,00027
Average Acreage of NC Farms
18427

Major Sectors

Major Business Sectors
Aerospace and Defense; Automotive, Truck & Heavy Machinery; Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals; Business and Financial Services; Corporate Headquarters; Energy; Food Processing and Manufacturing; Furniture; Information Technology; Plastics and Chemicals; Textiles; Tourism28
Sources