Clay Center is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman: * Clay County, Alabama * Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County) * Clay County, Fl ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

, United States. It is part of the

Hastings, Nebraska Hastings is a city and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 25,152 at the 2020 census. It is known as the town where Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in 1927, and celebrates that event with the Ko ...

Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 760 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Clay Center is located at (40.522291, -98.055076). 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 t ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

History

Clay Center was laid out in 1879. The city was named after Henry Clay, a statesman from Kentucky. A post office has been in operation at Clay Center since 1879.

Demographics

2010 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 in ...

of 2010, there were 760 people, 332 households, and 214 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 360 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.4%

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 ...

, 0.4%

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 ...

, 0.1% Asian, 2.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 4.6% of the population. There were 332 households, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.5% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age in the city was 42.8 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.5% were from 25 to 44; 30.4% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 861 people, 343 households, and 243 families residing in the city. The

was 1,215.3 people per square mile (468.2/km²). There were 373 housing units at an average density of 526.5 per square mile (202.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.17%

, 0.58%

, 0.23% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 1.16% from

, and 0.93% from two or more races.

of any race were 3.02% of the population. There were 343 households, out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $36,597, and the median income for a family was $45,893. Males had a median income of $30,982 versus $20,446 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 city was $17,577. About 7.6% of families and 9.1% 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 14.5% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Accredited "A" by the State Board of Education, Clay Center High School (CCHS) has an exceptional academic reputation with test scores consistently above the state and national averages. The K-12 system enjoys a modern high school facility and gym. In the past five years, CCHS has earned five state championships in various sports. An experienced administration and staff provide an average 1 to 10 teacher-to-pupil ratio. Community scholarships are available to graduating seniors. Served by Educational Service Unit No. 9 of Hastings, CCHS receives resources and expertise for its teachers and students. Clay Center is located near several post-secondary institutions. It is one and one-half hours from the University of Nebraska/Lincoln and University of Nebraska/Kearney; one-half hour from Hastings College and the Mary Lanning School of Nursing, and 20 minutes from Central Community College in Hastings.

Notable people

Joseph D. Leitch Joseph D. Leitch (March 8, 1864 - October 26, 1938) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the American Indian Wars, Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, United States occupation of Veracruz, World War I, and ...

, U.S. Army major general * Abby Miller, actress * Joe Saldana, race-car driver * Howard Bradley Smith, (author)

Popular culture

* The novel, ''Clay Center'' by Phil Condon, was named after the town.

References

{{Authority control Cities in Nebraska Cities in Clay County, Nebraska Hastings Micropolitan Statistical Area County seats in Nebraska Populated places established in 1879 1879 establishments in Nebraska