Clayton is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in northern

Concordia Parish Concordia Parish (french: Paroisse de Concordia) borders the Mississippi River in eastern central Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,822. The parish seat is Vidalia. The parish was formed in 1807. Concordia Parish is part ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, United States. The population was 711 at the 2010 census.

Cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

is a principal commodity in the area. Clayton is located on the

Tensas River The Tensas River is a river in Louisiana in the United States. The river, known as Tensas Bayou in its upper reaches, begins in East Carroll Parish in the northeast corner of the state and runs roughly southwest for U.S. Geological Survey. Nationa ...

, important for

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

and boating, promoted through a

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

-maintained boat launch. The Tensas River merges with the Black River in Jonesville in

Catahoula Parish Catahoula Parish (french: Paroisse de Catahoula) is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,407. Its seat is Harrisonburg, on the Ouachita River. The parish was formed in 1808, shortly after the ...

. Louisiana State Representative Andy Anders is from Clayton and Ferriday. Among the businesses in the community are Cross Keys Bank and David's Grocery. A major employer in the town was Clayton Gin Company which closed in the early 2000s and was mostly demolished in the early 2010s. The Clayton Gin was originally constructed in the 1940s by W. Howard Davis and his brother Doyle E. Davis. The gin operated under the name "Davis Bros. Gin Co.". The last surviving brother, Howard Davis, died in 1972 and the gin continued to operate under the management of his son-in-law Sam D. Cole until his death in 1979. The gin was sold in the early 1980s and continued operation as the "Clayton Gin Company" until the early 2000s.

Geography

Clayton is located in northern Concordia Parish at (31.718837, -91.538902), along the south bank of the

is to the north across the river.

U.S. Route 425 U.S. Route 425 (US 425) is a north–south United States highway that travels in the U.S. states of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. It was first commissioned in 1989. The route's northern terminus is in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, at a ...

passes through the center of the town, leading north to Winnsboro and south to Ferriday and to Natchez, Mississippi. U.S. Route 65 has its southern terminus in Clayton; it leads north to Tallulah and to its northern terminus in

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.24%, is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 584 people, 189 households, and 107 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 858 people, 317 households, and 220 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 361 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 31.70%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 67.25%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, and 1.05% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.47% of the population. There were 317 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.8% were married couples living together, 31.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.24. In the town, the population was spread out, with 33.4% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $14,100, and the median income for a family was $15,598. Males had a median income of $22,250 versus $12,500 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $7,955. About 38.9% of families and 45.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 59.0% of those under age 18 and 34.9% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Clayton Progress
Community Progress Site for Clayton, LA {{authority control Towns in Concordia Parish, Louisiana Towns in Louisiana Towns in Natchez micropolitan area