Clay County, North Carolina

Clay County is a county located in the far western part of U.S. state North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 11,089.[1] The county seat is Hayesville.[2]

Clay County
County
Clay County Government Center
Clay County Government Center
Official seal of Clay County
Seal
Motto: 
"Clay County – It's Good for the Soul"
Map of North Carolina highlighting Clay County
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°04′N 83°46′W
Country United States
State North Carolina
Founded1861
Named forHenry Clay
SeatHayesville
Largest communityHayesville
Area
 • Total220.78 sq mi (571.8 km2)
 • Land214.98 sq mi (556.8 km2)
 • Water5.80 sq mi (15.0 km2)  2.63%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total11,089
 • Estimate 
(2022)
11,614
 • Density51.58/sq mi (19.92/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district11th
Websitewww.clayconc.com

History
Former Clay County Courthouse in Hayesville

This area was occupied by the Cherokee Nation at the time of European settlement. The name of Brasstown, an unincorporated community in the county, was derived from a Cherokee term for a village location, which English speakers confused with another that meant "brass." They referred to the village as Brasstown, a translation unrelated to the Cherokee history of the site.

Migrants into the area were primarily of Scots-Irish descent, who had moved into the backcountry of the Appalachians from eastern areas. They moved south from Pennsylvania and Virginia after the American Revolution. Most became yeomen farmers and few owned slaves in the antebellum years.

In the fall of 1860, George Hayes, who was running for state representative from Cherokee County, promised his constituents to introduce legislation to organize a new county in the region. That would bring business associated with a new county seat, and make government accessible to more people. In February 1861 the legislation was introduced and passed by the North Carolina General Assembly.[3] Clay County was formed primarily from Cherokee County, North Carolina, however a small area was taken from Macon County; it was named for statesman Henry Clay, former Secretary of State and member of the United States Senate from Kentucky. In honor of Mr. Hayes, the legislature designated the new county seat as Hayesville.[3]

Given the interruption of the American Civil War, Clay County lacked an organized, formal government until 1868. Later that year, during the Reconstruction era, the first United States post office in the county opened in Hayesville. The first county courthouse was built in 1888; it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[4]

Since the nineteenth century, Clay County has remained largely agricultural.[3] Given its relative isolation, in the 21st century, residents continue to be overwhelmingly of European-American ancestry.

The Clay County Progress is the local newspaper, reporting mostly county news.[5]

Geography
Downtown Hayesville from the air

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 220.78 square miles (571.8 km2), of which 214.98 square miles (556.8 km2) is land and 5.80 square miles (15.0 km2) (2.63%) is water.[6] It is the third-smallest county in North Carolina by land area and smallest by total area.

Clay County is bordered to the south by the state of Georgia and the Chattahoochee National Forest. The Nantahala River forms part of its northeastern border. The county is drained by the Hiwassee River. In the southern part of Clay County is Chatuge Lake, on the North Carolina–Georgia border. Much of Clay County exists within the Nantahala National Forest. Fires Creek Bear Reserve is north of the township of Tusquittee.

The eastern portion of the county is preserved as part of the Nantahala National Forest.

Climate

Clay County has a humid subtropical climate, (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification, with hot, humid summers and mild, but occasionally cold winters by the standards of the southern United States.[7]

Like the rest of the southeastern U.S., Clay County receives abundant rainfall, which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. Average annual rainfall is 55.9 inches (1,420 mm). Blizzards are rare but possible; one nicknamed the Storm of the Century hit the entire Eastern United States in March, 1993.

National protected area

State and local protected areas
  • Fires Creek Wildlife Management Area (part)
  • JackRabbit Mountain Recreation Area
  • Nantahala National Forest Game Land (part)[8]

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18702,461—
18803,31634.7%
18904,19726.6%
19004,5328.0%
19103,909−13.7%
19204,64618.9%
19305,43417.0%
19406,40517.9%
19506,006−6.2%
19605,526−8.0%
19705,180−6.3%
19806,61927.8%
19907,1558.1%
20008,77522.6%
201010,58720.6%
202011,0894.7%
2022 (est.)11,614[1]4.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11]
1990–2000[12] 2010[13] 2020[1]

2020 census
Clay County racial composition[14]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 10,044 90.58%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 60 0.54%
Native American 44 0.4%
Asian 40 0.36%
Pacific Islander 7 0.06%
Other/Mixed 456 4.11%
Hispanic or Latino 438 3.95%

As of the 2020 census, there were 11,089 people, 4,996 households, and 3,424 families residing in the county.

2000 census

At the 2000 census,[15] there were 8,775 people, 3,847 households, and 2,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 41 people per square mile (16 people/km2). There were 5,425 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (9.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.01% White, 0.80% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 0.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,847 households, out of which 23.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.10% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.68.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 18.60% under the age of 18, 6.20% from 18 to 24, 22.80% from 25 to 44, 29.80% from 45 to 64, and 22.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,397, and the median income for a family was $38,264. Males had a median income of $29,677 versus $19,529 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,221. About 7.80% of families and 11.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.60% of those under age 18 and 13.00% of those age 65 or over.

Law, government, and politics

Government

The Clay County government is a constitutional body and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of North Carolina, most of which are determined by the state's General Assembly. The county is governed by an elected five member four-year term Board of Commissioners.[16]

Clay County is a member of the regional Southwestern Commission Council of Governments.

Politics

In the North Carolina Senate, Clay County is part of the 50th Senate district and is represented by Republican Jim Davis. In the North Carolina House of Representatives, Clay County is part of the 120th district, represented by Republican Kevin Corbin.

No Democratic presidential candidate has won Clay County since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Bill Clinton in 1996 was the last Democratic candidate to reach forty percent of the county's vote. Before the Progressive Era, Clay County was uniformly Democratic, but since Charles Evans Hughes became the first Republican to carry the county in 1916, it has voted for the GOP in all but five elections.

United States presidential election results for Clay County, North Carolina[17]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 5,112 74.16% 1,699 24.65% 82 1.19%
2016 4,437 73.83% 1,367 22.75% 206 3.43%
2012 3,973 70.42% 1,579 27.99% 90 1.60%
2008 3,707 66.88% 1,734 31.28% 102 1.84%
2004 3,209 65.95% 1,628 33.46% 29 0.60%
2000 2,416 62.72% 1,361 35.33% 75 1.95%
1996 1,769 48.40% 1,462 40.00% 424 11.60%
1992 1,890 47.73% 1,600 40.40% 470 11.87%
1988 2,174 62.47% 1,289 37.04% 17 0.49%
1984 2,259 62.42% 1,340 37.03% 20 0.55%
1980 2,136 60.22% 1,324 37.33% 87 2.45%
1976 1,428 47.41% 1,569 52.09% 15 0.50%
1972 1,545 65.19% 797 33.63% 28 1.18%
1968 1,390 54.94% 847 33.48% 293 11.58%
1964 1,286 46.88% 1,457 53.12% 0 0.00%
1960 1,657 56.73% 1,264 43.27% 0 0.00%
1956 1,442 52.84% 1,287 47.16% 0 0.00%
1952 1,443 50.07% 1,439 49.93% 0 0.00%
1948 1,213 47.11% 1,307 50.76% 55 2.14%
1944 1,263 50.36% 1,245 49.64% 0 0.00%
1940 1,176 46.57% 1,349 53.43% 0 0.00%
1936 1,525 53.23% 1,340 46.77% 0 0.00%
1932 1,265 48.39% 1,341 51.30% 8 0.31%
1928 1,106 55.05% 903 44.95% 0 0.00%
1924 1,090 52.89% 953 46.24% 18 0.87%
1920 911 54.68% 755 45.32% 0 0.00%
1916 453 53.11% 400 46.89% 0 0.00%
1912 17 2.19% 372 47.94% 387 49.87%

Law and public safety

The Clay County sheriff's office is the sole policing agency for the county. The sheriff protects the court and county owned facilities, manages the jail, and provides patrol and detective services.

Education

Clay County Schools serves all of the county with about 1,200 students attending a total of 4 separate schools, located on a central campus in Hayesville. After county government, Clay County Schools is the largest employer in the county with a staff of 205 people.[18] Hayesville High School serves grades 9-12.

Media

The Clay County Progress is published weekly in Hayesville. It is the only newspaper in the county. Between 1926 and 1938 the community was served by the Clay County News.[19] The Progress faced competition from weekly newspaper The Smoky Mountain Sentinel between 1987 and 2012.[20]

Communities
Map of Clay County with municipal and township labels

Town

Unincorporated communities

Townships

The county is divided into six townships:

  • Brasstown comprises the westernmost township
  • Hayesville is centrally located and home to the county seat
  • Hiawassee, named after the major river in the region, is the smallest township, surrounding Chatuge Lake
  • Shooting Creek is the easternmost township
  • Sweetwater is a small township northwest of Hayesville
  • Tusquittee is one of the larger townships and the most northern

See also

References
  1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Clay County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Welcome to the Clay County Chamber of Commerce". Ncmtnchamber.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  4. "Hayesville, North Carolina - Home Page". Hayesville.org. Archived from the original on August 24, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  5. Smoky Mountain Sentinel Archived 2013-03-13 at the Wayback Machine, official website; accessed 27 July 2016
  6. "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  7. "Koppen Climate Classification Chart". Geography.about.com. April 9, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  8. "NCWRC Game Lands". www.ncpaws.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  11. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  12. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  13. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  14. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  15. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  16. "County Government | Clay County | NC Government | United States". Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  18. Ross, Lorrie (August 30, 2023). "Labor Day: Who creates the most jobs in Clay County?". Clay County Progress. Hayesville, NC: Community Newspapers, Inc.
  19. "The Clay County News (Hayesville, N.C.)". DigitalNC Newspapers. DigitalNC. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  20. "Smoky Mountain Sentinel". mondotimes. Mondo Code LLC.
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