Clay County vs Lake County
A side-by-side comparison of Clay County and Lake County: population, income, housing, and more.
Clay County and Lake County are counties in South Dakota. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Clay County has the higher population (15,133 vs 11,052 in Lake County). Lake County has the higher median household income ($73,792 vs $58,794 in Clay County). Lake County has the higher median home value ($231,000 vs $221,800 in Clay County).
Population, income & housing
| Clay County | Lake County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,133 | 11,052 |
| Median age | 24.5 yrs | 43.7 yrs |
| Median household income | $58,794 | $73,792 |
| Median home value | $221,800 | $231,000 |
| Median gross rent | $736 | $868 |
| Housing units | 6,243 | 5,747 |
| Homeownership rate | 51.8% | 71.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.0% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.4% | 2.4% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Clay County | Lake County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,957 → 15,133 (+8.4%) | 12,717 → 11,052 (-13.1%) |
| Median household income | $50,724 → $58,794 (+15.9%) | $61,846 → $73,792 (+19.3%) |
| Median home value | $168,300 → $221,800 (+31.8%) | $168,400 → $231,000 (+37.2%) |
| Median gross rent | $741 → $736 (-0.7%) | $597 → $868 (+45.4%) |
Clay County
13,95715,133
$50,724$58,794
$168,300$221,800
$741$736
Lake County
12,71711,052
$61,846$73,792
$168,400$231,000
$597$868
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Clay County | Lake County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.0% | 4.4% |
| 5 to 17 | 12.6% | 15.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 33.5% | 10.6% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.3% | 11.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.4% | 9.4% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.9% | 15.2% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.4% | 16.3% |
| 75 and over | 4.8% | 7.3% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Clay County | Lake County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 86.4% | 89.7% |
| Black or African American | 2.0% | 0.5% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 2.6% | 2.3% |
| Asian | 3.0% | 0.6% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Two or more races | 2.7% | 1.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.2% | 5.1% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Clay County | Lake County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.1% | 6.3% |
| High school graduate | 25.9% | 25.4% |
| Some college or associate's | 22.0% | 33.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 24.7% | 25.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 21.3% | 8.9% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Clay County | Lake County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 73.5% | 78.0% |
| Carpooled | 5.4% | 5.1% |
| Public transit | 0.3% | 1.4% |
| Walked | 10.7% | 4.7% |
| Bicycle | 1.9% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Other means | 0.5% | 1.2% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Clay County | Lake County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 55.9% | 73.0% |
| 1-unit, attached | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| 2 to 4 units | 11.2% | 5.3% |
| 5 to 19 units | 23.5% | 7.5% |
| 20 or more units | 3.1% | 4.7% |
| Mobile home & other | 4.3% | 7.3% |
Poverty & households
| Clay County | Lake County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 19.8% | 9.4% |
| Average household size | 2.28 | 2.27 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 18 | 16 |
| Median year structure built | 1976 | 1976 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in South Dakota
- Most densely populated — counties in South Dakota
- Highest median household income — counties in South Dakota
- Highest median home value — counties in South Dakota
- Most affordable home values — counties in South Dakota
- Highest median gross rent — counties in South Dakota
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in South Dakota
- Oldest by median age — counties in South Dakota
- Youngest by median age — counties in South Dakota
- Most college-educated — counties in South Dakota
- Highest poverty rate — counties in South Dakota
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in South Dakota
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in South Dakota
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in South Dakota
- Longest commutes — counties in South Dakota
- Shortest commutes — counties in South Dakota
- Largest households — counties in South Dakota
- Newest housing — counties in South Dakota
- Oldest housing — counties in South Dakota
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in South Dakota
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in South Dakota