Clay County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.8 | 7,783 people · 5th most distressed in West Virginia
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Clay County, WV shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.8 — 564th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within West Virginia, it ranks 5th of 55 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Clay County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 91.3 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 91.3
Unemployment Rate 95
Poverty Rate 93
Income vs. State Median 84
Child Poverty Rate 91
Disability Rate 93
Transfer Income Dependency 94
Consumer Credit Distress 69.1
Debt in Collections 88
Medical Debt 84
Auto Loan Delinquency 79
Credit Card Delinquency 48
Uninsured Rate 22
Subprime Credit Population 66
Housing Cost Burden 66.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 74
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 24
Economic Vitality 59.4
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 34
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 95
House Price Change (YoY) 28
Legal Distress 16.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 17

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Clay County
Clay County, WV 66.8 Serious —
Kanawha County, WV 60.1 Elevated -6.7
Calhoun County, WV 54.8 Elevated -12.0
Nicholas County, WV 51.3 Elevated -15.5
Roane County, WV 48.3 Normal -18.4
Braxton County, WV 47.2 Normal -19.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Clay County
Wilkes County, GA 66.8 Serious +0.0
Wheeler County, GA 66.7 Serious -0.0
Hickory County, MO 66.8 Serious +0.0
Stewart County, GA 66.9 Serious +0.1
Benton County, MS 66.7 Serious -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Clay County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Clay County

Find an Attorney

West Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

West Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 304-558-2456

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Clay County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of West Virginia 1-866-255-4370
Mountain State Justice, Inc. 304-344-3144

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Clay County, West Virginia?

    Clay County has a County Distress Index score of 66.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 564th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Clay County?

    The primary driver of distress in Clay County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 91.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Clay County compare to neighboring counties?

    Clay County (66.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Kanawha County, WV (60.1); Calhoun County, WV (54.8); Nicholas County, WV (51.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Serious zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Clay County's score of 66.8 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

  • What data sources power Clay County's CDI score?

    Clay County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Clay County?

    Clay County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 7,783 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.