Clay is a town in and the county seat of Clay County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 399 at the 2020 census. It is the only incorporated town in Clay County.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code25043

Area code304

Living in Clay

Housing in Clay

$112K≈ same as a year ago Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Clay home is worth about $112,000, about the same as a year ago, 37% below the West Virginia typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Work & commute in Clay

Full picture →

About one in 5 of Clay’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Charleston (11%), South Charleston (7%) and Beckley (4%). Half commute less than 29 miles.

Charleston

11%

South Charleston

Beckley

Summersville

22%Work in townlive and work in Clay 29 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 730Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Clay →

Health in Clay

Compared with West Virginia

14worse than WV

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 18 are too close to call.

Conditions 4▼ 8 close Habits 2▼ 2 close Care 2▼ 5 close Mind 2▼ 3 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

30.6%More older adults who have lost all their teethWV 19.5% · worse 22.2%More adults facing food insecurityWV 16.2% · worse 11.6%More adults without reliable transportationWV 8.9% · worse

Care nearby

Summersville Regional Medical CenterSummersville · 18 mi · ER · rural critical access

Community Care of ClayClay · 1 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Clay · CMS · HRSAHealth in Clay →

Natural hazards in Clay

Very high

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 93% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding

8Does Clay flood?paid flood claims since 1979 8Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Clay

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Clay →

Climate in Clay

Full climate →

Clay has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

45° / 26°Winter

67° / 42°Spring

84° / 62°Summer

68° / 45°Fall

How much snow does Clay get?About 18 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 28, with the last in spring around Apr 21.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.1° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Clay →

Schools in Clay

All Clay schools →

B⁻

School Grade B-

The public schools Clay’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 50% of West Virginia’s districts on state tests and graduation.

DistrictClay County SchoolsSchools3

Clay Elementary School CElementary · Grades PK–5 · 431 students Clay Middle School CMiddle · Grades 6–8 · 302 students Clay County High School C-High · Grades 9–12 · 520 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within WV. Ratings are from neighbors.