Clay County, KY
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Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 20,345. Its county seat is Manchester. The county was formed in 1807 and named in honor of
Green Clay Green Clay (August 14, 1757 – October 31, 1828) was an American businessman, planter, military officer and politician from Kentucky. Clay served in the American Revolutionary War and was commissioned as a general to lead the Kentucky militia ...
(1757–1826). Clay was a member of the Virginia and Kentucky
State legislatures A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Stat ...
, first cousin once removed of
Henry Clay Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, al ...
,
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
from Kentucky and Secretary of State in the 19th century.


History

Clay County was established in 1807 from land given by Floyd, Knox and Madison counties. The courthouse burned in January 1936.


Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water.


Adjacent counties

*
Owsley County Owsley County is a county located in the Eastern Coalfield region of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,051, making it the second-least populous county in Kentucky. The county seat is Booneville. The county ...
(north) *
Perry County Perry County may refer to: United States *Perry County, Alabama *Perry County, Arkansas *Perry County, Illinois *Perry County, Indiana *Perry County, Kentucky *Perry County, Mississippi *Perry County, Missouri *Perry County, Ohio *Perry Coun ...
(northeast) *
Leslie County Leslie County is located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its county seat is Hyden. Leslie is a prohibition or dry county. History Leslie County was founded in 1878. It was named for Preston H. Leslie, Governor of Kentucky (1871-1875). The Hur ...
(east) * Bell County (southeast) * Knox County (southwest) *
Laurel County Laurel County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 62,613. Its county seat is London. After a special election in January 2016 alcohol sales are permitted only ...
(west) * Jackson County (northwest)


Watercourses

* Sexton Creek * Bullskin Creek * South Fork of Kentucky River ** Red Bird River ***
Big Creek Big Creek may refer to: In Australia * Big Creek, Tasmania, a tributary of the Inglis River in Tasmania, Australia In Belize * Big Creek, Belize, a sea port in Belize In Canada * Big Creek (British Columbia), a tributary of the Chilcotin River * ...
*** Bear Creek ** Goose Creek *** Horse Creek ***
Laurel Creek Laurel Creek is a river in Delaware County, New York. It flows into the Roods Creek Roods Creek is a river in Delaware County, New York. It begins just south of Cannonsville Reservoir and flows south into Crystal Lake. After exiting Crystal Lak ...
***
Little Goose Creek Little Goose Creek is a creek originating on the east slope of the Big Horn Mountains in north-central Wyoming. Route After dropping over and entering a steep canyon, the creek flows out of the Big Horn Mountains and into the Powder River Basin ...
*** Wildcat Creek *** Collins Creek * South Fork of Rockcastle River


Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 21,730 people, 8,556 households, and 6,442 families residing in the county. The population density was 52 people per square mile (20/km2). There were 9,439 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile (8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.9% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.1%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. 1.4% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. There were 8,556 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.06. The age distribution was 25.4% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 111.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.6 males. The median income for a household in the county was $16,271, and the median income for a family was $18,925. Males had a median income of $24,164 versus $17,816 for females. The per capita income for the county was $9,716. About 35.4% of families and 39.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.6% of those under age 18 and 31.3% of those age 65 or over. The county's
per-capita income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...
and median household income make it one of the
poorest counties in the United States These are lists of the lowest-income counties in the United States, based on measures of per capita income and median household income. 50 counties/parishes with lowest per capita personal income Two common measurements of the average annual incom ...
. Among counties whose population contains a non-Hispanic white majority, Clay County was once the poorest by per-capita income and second to another county in the same Kentucky region,
Owsley County Owsley County is a county located in the Eastern Coalfield region of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,051, making it the second-least populous county in Kentucky. The county seat is Booneville. The county ...
, by median household income. However, in recent years the economic status of Clay County, Kentucky has improved relative to other lower income counties.


Communities


City

* Manchester (county seat)


Census-designated places

* Littleton *
Oneida Oneida may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy * Oneida language * Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York * Oneida Na ...


Unincorporated towns and villages

*
Big Creek Big Creek may refer to: In Australia * Big Creek, Tasmania, a tributary of the Inglis River in Tasmania, Australia In Belize * Big Creek, Belize, a sea port in Belize In Canada * Big Creek (British Columbia), a tributary of the Chilcotin River * ...
* Fall Rock *
Garrard Garrard may refer to: *Garrard (surname) *Garrard (automobile) *Garrard, Kentucky *Garrard County, Kentucky See also *Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing Company *Garrard & Co Garrard & Co. Limited, formerly Asprey & Garrard Limited, design ...
* Goose Rock * Hubbardsville * Sibert


Post offices

Many former post offices were, and some current ones are, located along the waterways, which are paralleled by modern roads. Arrows denote renamings. * Alger * Bernice * Barcreek * Barger * Bessie → Mill Pond *
Big Creek Big Creek may refer to: In Australia * Big Creek, Tasmania, a tributary of the Inglis River in Tasmania, Australia In Belize * Big Creek, Belize, a sea port in Belize In Canada * Big Creek (British Columbia), a tributary of the Chilcotin River * ...
* Bluehole * Botto * Brightshade * Brutus * Bullskin * Bullskin Creek * Burning Springs * Caution *
Cedral Cedral is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 millio ...
* Chesnut Hill → Chesnut * Chesnutburg * Potters Choice → Choice * Cottongim * Disappoint * Eriline * Eros * Ethal → Ethel * Fall Rock *
Garrard Garrard may refer to: *Garrard (surname) *Garrard (automobile) *Garrard, Kentucky *Garrard County, Kentucky See also *Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing Company *Garrard & Co Garrard & Co. Limited, formerly Asprey & Garrard Limited, design ...
* Goose Rock * Grace * Hacker → Hensley *
Hollingsworth Hollingsworth is a surname of English origin. Notable people with the surname include: * Adam Hollingsworth (born 1969), US politician * Al Hollingsworth (disambiguation), several people * Alvin Hollingsworth (1928 – 2000), US painter * And ...
*
Hooker Hooker may refer to: People * Hooker (surname) Places Antarctica * Mount Hooker (Antarctica) * Cape Hooker (Antarctica) * Cape Hooker (South Shetland Islands) New Zealand * Hooker River * Mount Hooker (New Zealand) in the Southern Alps * Hoo ...
* Crawfish → Hima *
Laurel Creek Laurel Creek is a river in Delaware County, New York. It flows into the Roods Creek Roods Creek is a river in Delaware County, New York. It begins just south of Cannonsville Reservoir and flows south into Crystal Lake. After exiting Crystal Lak ...
* Lincoln * Lipps * Lockards * Malcom *
Marcum Marcum is a family name. Notable persons with that name include: * Deanna B. Marcum (1946–2022), American librarian and nonprofit leader * John Marcum (1995-present), ARCA founder, NASCAR official * Johnny Marcum (1909–1984), baseball pitcher ...
* Martins Creek * Mount Welcome * Adela → Murray → Muncie Fork * Ogle * Annalee → Redbird River → Peabody *
Panco Bangka are various native watercraft of the Philippines. It originally referred to small double-outrigger dugout canoes used in rivers and shallow coastal waters, but since the 18th century, it has expanded to include larger lashed-lug ships, wi ...
* Pancone * Pigeonroost * Plank * Rockgap *
Seth Seth,; el, Σήθ ''Sḗth''; ; "placed", "appointed") in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mandaeism, and Sethianism, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other child mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. A ...
* Sibert * Sory * Spurlock * Tanksley * Tinker * Treadway * Wildcat * Sacker Gap * Seeley * Sextons Creek * Smallwood *
Sourwood ''Oxydendrum arboreum'', the sourwood or sorrel tree, is the sole species in the genus ''Oxydendrum'', in the family Ericaceae. It is native to eastern North America, from southern Pennsylvania south to northwest Florida and west to southern I ...
* Urban * Vine *
Wages A wage is payment made by an employer to an employee for work done in a specific period of time. Some examples of wage payments include compensatory payments such as ''minimum wage'', ''prevailing wage'', and ''yearly bonuses,'' and remuner ...


Other places

* Benge * Brooks * Buzzard * Datha * Fogertown * Greenbriar * Hector * Hubbardsville * Larue * Philpot * Pinhook There are also places named in early censuses, some still identifiable today: Ammie, Ashers Fork, Creekville, Deer Lick, Felty, Gardner, Jacks Creek, McWhorter, Portersburg, Queendale, Shepherdtown, Sidell, Spring Creek, Teges, and Trixie.


Politics

Clay County has been rock-ribbed Republican since the Civil War, having last voted for a Democratic nominee for president in
1860 Events January–March * January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...
when it supported Kentucky native and Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge. In the last one hundred years the only Republicans to receive less than sixty percent were
Bob Dole Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Republican Leader of the Senate during the final 11 years of his te ...
, who still won the county by nearly 25 percent, and
Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...
, who held the county by seventy-five votes amidst a Democratic landslide in 1964. In 2008
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
received 77.5% of the vote. The county is located in
Kentucky's 5th congressional district Kentucky's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Located in the heart of Appalachia in Southeastern Kentucky, the rural district is the second most impoverished district in the nation and, as of ...
represented by Representative
Hal Rogers Harold Dallas Rogers (born December 31, 1937) is an American lawyer and politician serving his 21st term as the U.S. representative for , having served since 1981. He is a member of the Republican Party. Upon Don Young's death in 2022, Rogers b ...
.


Health

In July 2010, '' The Washington Post'' named Clay County the unhealthiest county in Kentucky, and one of the unhealthiest in the nation. Clay County also featured prominently in a June 2014 article in '' The New York Times'' about the difficulty of living in poverty in eastern Kentucky, ranking last in overall ratings for counties in the United States. The factors which accounted for Clay county's low ranking were unemployment, prevalence of disabilities, obesity, income, and education. The ''Times'' declared Clay County the "hardest place to live in the U.S."


Life expectancy

Of 3,142 counties in the United States in 2014, Clay County ranked 3,137 in the longevity of female residents and 3,109 in the longevity of male residents. Males in Clay County lived an average of 68.6 years and females lived an average of 73.6 years compared to the national average for longevity of 76.5 for males and 81.2 for females. Moreover, the average longevity in Clay County declined by 0.4 years for males and 3.4 years for females between 1985 and 2014 compared to a national average for the same period of an increased life span of 5.5 years for men and 3.1 years for women. High rates of smoking and obesity and a low level of physical activity appear to be contributing factors to the lowered longevity for both sexes."Clay County, Kentucky"

accessed May 19, 2021


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Clay County, Kentucky *
Red Bird River Petroglyphs The Red Bird River Petroglyphs, also known as the Red Bird Petroglyphs are a series of petroglyphs, or carvings, on a stone in Clay County, Kentucky, Clay County, Kentucky. The rock originally was situated along the Red Bird River but was moved to ...


References


Further reading

* * * *


External links


Clay County News and Photos at Claylive.com


{{authority control Clay County, Kentucky, 1807 establishments in Kentucky Populated places established in 1807 Kentucky counties Counties of Appalachia