City safety & data profile

ClaytonNC

Clayton, NC is a 19K-resident city in Johnston County with a median household income of $78,822.

Johnston County, North Carolina. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Clayton, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Clayton has a population larger than 42% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $329,600.

Data updated 2026-07-20

19K
Population
Top 58%
By size
$78,822
Median income
$329,600
Median home
5.9%
Poverty rate

The read on Clayton

Clayton posts a median household income higher than 48% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 52%
by median income, US cities

Where Clayton income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$78,822 Bottom 48% higher than 48% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. NC $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Clayton, NC beyond the headline numbers

Clayton sits inside Johnston County, North Carolina, at roughly 35.65°N, -78.46°W. Population 19,304, $78,822 median household income. Median home value $329,600, median rent $1,661. Poverty rate 5.9%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Clayton's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 35.6%, then obesity at 35.2%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Clayton from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
19,304
Clayton
Median Income
$78,822
+16% vs avg
Median Home Value
$329,600
+45% vs avg
Median Age
33
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Johnston County) - Clayton's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
234K+36%
Median Income
$83,384+68%
Median Home Value
$305,600+116%
Poverty Rate
10.6%-38%
Unemployment
3.8%-66%

Economics

Economics indicators for Clayton, NC
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,661/mo
Poverty Rate
5.9% -58% vs avg
Unemployment 2.8%
Bachelor's Degree+ 40.4%
Work From Home 18.2%
Public Transit 0%

Population

White 58.6%
African American 27.7%
Asian 0.7%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
35.6%
Obesity
35.2%
High Blood Pressure
33%
Physical Inactivity
22.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
17.3%
Binge Drinking
15.6%
Current Smoking
13.3%
Frequent Physical Distress
11.9%
Current Asthma
11.1%
Diabetes
10.6%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 63.8%
Annual Checkup 79%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
10.4%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.1%
Stroke
3%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Clayton, NC? ▼
Clayton, NC has a population of 19,304 people, located in Johnston County, North Carolina.
What is the median household income in Clayton? ▼
The median household income in Clayton, NC is $78,822 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 5.9%.
What is the median home value in Clayton? ▼
The median home value in Clayton, NC is $329,600. Median rent is $1,661/month.
What are the top health concerns in Clayton? ▼
The top health indicators in Clayton include Short Sleep Duration (35.6%), Obesity (35.2%), High Blood Pressure (33%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Clayton? ▼
The median age in Clayton, NC is 33 years. 40.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Clayton, NC is located in Johnston County, North Carolina. With a population of 19K and a $78,822 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Safety alerts for the Clayton area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - North Carolina

Real-time AQI for every monitored North Carolina location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Knightdale, NC 14K Garner, NC 28K Smithfield, NC 12K Raleigh, NC 482K West Raleigh, NC 339K Wake Forest, NC 38K Fuquay-Varina, NC 24K Cary, NC 160K
All cities in North Carolina → Compare Clayton vs Knightdale → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Clayton's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Clayton area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Clayton against North Carolina peers on any ranking lens. Explore North Carolina

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Johnston County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.