Clay County, Texas Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Clay County
U.S. county
Clay County Courthouse in Henrietta
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1860
Named for	Henry Clay
Seat	Henrietta
Largest city	Henrietta
Area
• Total	1,117 sq mi (2,890 km²)
• Land	1,089 sq mi (2,820 km²)
• Water	28 sq mi (70 km²) 2.5%
Population (2020)
• Total	10,218
• Density	9.148/sq mi (3.5320/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	13th

The Clay County Leader newspaper office in Henrietta

Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 10,218. The county seat is Henrietta. The county was founded in 1857 and later organized in 1860. It is named in honor of Henry Clay, famous American statesman, Kentucky Senator and United States Secretary of State.

Clay County is part of the Wichita Falls, Metropolitan Statistical Area in North Texas.

The Wichita Falls rancher, oilman, and philanthropist Joseph Sterling Bridwell owned a ranch in Clay County, among his multiple holdings.

Geography
- Adjacent counties
Demographics
Transportation
- Major highways
- Farm to Market Roads
Communities
Education
See also

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,117 square miles (2,890 km²), of which 1,089 square miles (2,820 km²) is land and 28 square miles (73 km²) (2.5%) is water.

Lake Arrowhead State Park, a 524-acre (212 ha) development on Lake Arrowhead in Clay County, encompasses 14,390-acre (5,820 ha) acres. The lakeshore extends 106 miles; the park offers bicycling, birding, boating, camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, nature study, picnicking, swimming, and wildlife observation.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	109	—
1880	5,045	—
1890	7,503	48.7%
1900	9,231	23.0%
1910	17,043	84.6%
1920	16,864	−1.1%
1930	14,545	−13.8%
1940	12,524	−13.9%
1950	9,896	−21.0%
1960	8,351	−15.6%
1970	8,079	−3.3%
1980	9,582	18.6%
1990	10,024	4.6%
2000	11,006	9.8%
2010	10,752	−2.3%
2020	10,218	−5.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020

**Clay County, Texas - Demographic Profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	9,941	8,941	92.46%	87.50%
Black or African American alone (NH)	53	35	0.49%	0.34%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	115	78	1.07%	0.76%
Asian alone (NH)	28	50	0.26%	0.49%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	1	0	0.01%	0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	5	31	0.05%	0.30%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	142	442	1.32%	4.33%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	467	641	4.34%	6.27%
Total	10,752	10,218	100.00%	100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,006 people, 4,323 households, and 3,181 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile (3.9 people/km²). There were 4,992 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1.5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.35% White, 0.42% Black or African American, 1.03% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.68% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 3.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. At 89.4% of the county's population, Clay County has the highest percentage of Non-Hispanic Whites in the state of Texas.

There were 4,323 households, out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.20% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.90% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,738, and the median income for a family was $41,514. Males had a median income of $28,914 versus $20,975 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,361. About 8.10% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.70% of those under age 18 and 11.00% of those age 65 or over.