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Clay Center, NE Area Profile

Clay Center, Nebraska Area, NE

Cost of Living

A quick read on everyday affordability around Clay Center, with the main cost drivers separated for scanning.

Composite Index

95.8

Grocery Index

9.1

Housing Index

8.6

Transportation Index

7.2

Cost of living summary
MetricValue
Composite cost index95.8
Grocery index9.1
Housing index8.6
Transportation index7.2

What to Watch

  • Treat Clay Center as a very small-community market where monthly costs can behave differently from statewide averages.
  • Home values are comparatively low, but maintenance, taxes, and utilities still matter.
  • Use Nelson, NE as a same-state comparison point before treating one NE value as typical.
View Nebraska cost of living report

Utilities

Monthly utility patterns and baseline household costs for power, water, gas, and fuel.

Electric Rate Consumption

Monthly electric index
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
222834456274485667826157

Water Consumption

Monthly water index
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
664844363026343733554958

Gas Rate (CCF)

Monthly gas index
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
283643526147556349455257
Everyday utility costs
MetricValue
Electricity rate$0.131/kWh
Gasoline price$3.28/gal
Water bill avg$48/mo
Gas rate$1.18/CCF
View Nebraska utilities report

Demographics

Population, age mix, education, and income context for understanding the local community.

Population Age Pyramid

Age mix index
Age bandMaleFemale
0-96864
10-197571
20-348378
35-499290
50-6410097
65-748488
75+7279

Income Distribution

Income bracket index
BracketIndex
Under $35k72
$35k-$49k88
$50k-$74k100
$75k-$99k79
$100k+52

Annual Income Distribution

Median household$63,200
Per capita$33,900
Poverty rate9.8%
Community snapshot
MeasureEstimate
Population750
Median age39.7
Bachelor+20.6%

Schools

School performance and classroom context in a compact local snapshot.

Test Score Trends

Test score trend
201920202021202220232024
424851575964

Grocery Index

9.1

Housing Index

8.6

Transportation Index

7.2

Utility Index

7.9

School snapshot
IndicatorValue
Math proficiency53%
Reading proficiency58%
Student-teacher ratio14:1

Helpful Context

  • Year-to-year school figures can move more in smaller places, so compare Clay Center with nearby districts too.
  • A single score rarely explains the full school picture for Clay Center; program fit and attendance zones matter too.
  • Nearby city pages can help separate Clay Center-specific signals from broader Nebraska patterns.

Local Economy

A simple labor-market snapshot showing local job mix, wages, and workforce size.

Industry Job Types

Industry job mix
IndustryShareIndex
Manufacturing31%74
Agriculture26%64
Healthcare19%52
Retail14%39
Other Services10%31
Local economy snapshot
MetricValue
Unemployment3.0%
Median wage$75,833
Labor force264

Climate

Winter avg: 15 degrees F - Summer avg: 82 degrees F - Snowfall: 43 in

Local Takeaways

  • Compare Clay Center with Nelson, NE to see whether wages and housing are moving in the same direction.
  • The median household income value is $75,833 when ACS data is available for this place.
  • Use the economy card with housing and taxes to judge whether Clay Center works for a specific household budget.

Real Estate

Home values, property taxes, and rental context in one housing-focused snapshot.

Median Home Value Trend

Median home value trend
201920202021202220232024
$154k$161k$172k$181k$186k$189k

Property Tax Breakdown

  • County levy: 42%
  • School district: 34%
  • City/other: 24%
Housing and tax snapshot
IndicatorValue
Median home value$148,300
Median property tax paid$2,247
Estimated state sales tax rate7.39%
Rent (2-bed)$620/mo
View Nebraska property tax report

Climate

A compact view of weather patterns and natural-risk context for the area.

Avg High (Jul)82°F
Avg Low (Jan)8°F
Humidity72%

Climate Snapshot

Reference
Now--
Condition--
Wind--
Today--

Climate context is provided for planning and comparison.

Climate snapshot
MeasureValue
Sunny days196
Annual snowfall43 in
NOAA hazard risk scoreModerate

Planning Notes

  • For Clay Center, weather risk is best read with insurance, roof age, drainage, and commute routes together.
  • Utility planning matters because electricity is relatively favorable compared with higher-rate markets.
  • Compare climate and insurance sections together before using Clay Center as a relocation shortlist.

Insurance

Location-based risk and cost pressure signals that can affect insurance pricing.

Risk IndexModerate
Weather RiskMedium
Cost PressureLow
Insurance summary
IndicatorEstimate
Insurance cost index95
NOAA hazard risk scoreModerate
Primary local riskWinter weather

What Affects Rates

  • Insurance pricing for Clay Center still depends on the address, structure age, roof condition, and carrier appetite.
  • Local claims history, coverage limits, deductibles, and property condition can outweigh broad NE averages.
  • Compare with Nelson, NE for a broader read on Nebraska insurance pressure.
View Nebraska insurance report

Clay Center Facts

Quick facts for Clay Center that make this page easier to compare with other Nebraska places.

Clay Center, NE facts
FactValueSource context
Population750ACS place estimate
Median household income$75,833ACS household estimate
Median home value$148,300ACS housing estimate
Median age39.7ACS demographic estimate
Bachelor+ share20.6%ACS education estimate
Residential electric rate$0.131/kWhEIA state residential rate

Helpful Context

  • The utility fact uses the current state residential benchmark because electricity is relatively favorable compared with higher-rate markets.
  • City-specific ACS values are used when the place matches; state-level API values fill statewide measures.
  • Use these facts as a fast NE screen before checking address-level records or provider quotes.

Clay Center Local Data Brief

This section is generated from cached city metrics and clearly labeled state-level benchmarks. It is meant to make the Clay Center page less generic and more useful for comparing housing, income, utilities, taxes, insurance, demographics, and nearby alternatives.

Clay Center, NE local metrics and source context
MetricValueHow to read it
Population750Clay Center is treated as a very small-community place for comparison.
Median household income$75,833Income is solid, so housing and taxes usually decide the budget picture.
Median home value$148,300Home values are comparatively low, but maintenance, taxes, and utilities still matter.
Two-bedroom rent$620/moRent gives a renter-side affordability baseline beside owner costs.
Median property tax paid$2,247Property tax should be read with mortgage, insurance, and home value.
Residential electric rate$0.131/kWhThis is a state-level EIA benchmark, not a city utility quote.
Unemployment3.0%This is a state-level BLS labor-market benchmark.
Median age39.7Age mix can affect housing demand, commute needs, and school planning.
Bachelor+ share20.6%Education mix can help frame labor-market and school-context questions.

Affordability Summary

Population is 750, so Clay Center should be compared with similar-size places before using broader Nebraska averages. Median household income is $75,833, so the best affordability read for Clay Center is income versus housing, taxes, utilities, and insurance together.

Median home value is $148,300, so ownership costs in Clay Center should be checked with mortgage, property tax, insurance, and maintenance assumptions. Two-bedroom rent is $620/mo, so renters can compare Clay Center against ownership costs and nearby rental markets.

Housing and Income Context

For Clay Center, income is solid, so housing and taxes usually decide the budget picture. Home values are comparatively low, but maintenance, taxes, and utilities still matter.

Use the home value, rent, and income fields together before deciding whether Clay Center looks more favorable for renting, buying, or comparing with Nelson, NE.

Utility Cost Context

The residential electricity benchmark is $0.131/kWh, so Clay Center households should treat usage, home size, heating, and cooling as the practical bill drivers. The electricity value shown for Clay Center is a Nebraska state-level EIA benchmark, so it should not be read as a local provider tariff.

For Clay Center, utility planning is stronger when the electric benchmark is paired with home age, square footage, insulation, HVAC equipment, and household occupancy.

Property Tax Context

Median property tax paid is $2,247, so Clay Center buyers should still verify parcel-specific tax records before budgeting. Parcel boundaries, exemptions, school districts, and reassessment rules can move the actual bill for a Clay Center address.

Compare the property tax field with home value rather than reading it by itself; a lower tax bill can still pair with a different assessment base or exemption profile.

Insurance and Risk Context

Insurance costs in Clay Center depend on address-level factors such as roof condition, structure age, coverage limits, claims history, deductible choice, and carrier underwriting.

Home value, tax burden, and insurance exposure should be reviewed together for Clay Center, especially when comparing with Nelson, NE.

Population and Demographics

Median age is 39.7, so Clay Center may have different school, commute, healthcare, and housing demand patterns than a statewide average. Bachelor+ share is 20.6%, so Clay Center education context can be useful when reading labor-market and school sections.

Unemployment is 3.0%, so Clay Center wage and job-market context should be compared with commute options and regional employment centers.

Nearby Nebraska comparison pages
PlacePopulationHome valueElectric benchmark
Sutton, NE1,349$151k$0.131/kWh
Hastings, NE25,005$177k$0.131/kWh
Nelson, NE478$73k$0.131/kWh
Aurora, NE4,665$222k$0.131/kWh

Source Notes

  • City-specific Census ACS values are used when a matching place row exists in the cached city metrics file.
  • Electricity and unemployment fields are state-level EIA and BLS benchmarks, so they are labeled as planning context rather than city quotes.
  • The page should be used as a comparison screen before checking provider rates, parcel records, insurance quotes, school boundaries, and address-level details for Clay Center.

Clay Center Cost Drill-Down

This dashboard keeps the fast local overview on one page, while the linked category reports go deeper into one decision at a time. For Clay Center, the strongest local signals in the current cache are population 750, median household income $75,833, median home value $148,300, rent $620/mo, property tax paid $2,247, and the Nebraska residential electric benchmark $0.131/kWh.

Clay Center category drill-down links and metric context
CategoryPrimary valueSecond valueWhy it matters here
Cost of living $75,833 $148,300 Clay Center affordability is mostly a housing-versus-income read: income is solid, so housing and taxes usually decide the budget picture and home values are comparatively low, but maintenance, taxes, and utilities still matter.
Utility costs $0.131/kWh $620/mo Clay Center utility planning should pair the Nebraska electric benchmark with home size, cooling load, appliance use, and occupancy.
Property taxes $2,247 $148k Clay Center tax planning should compare the tax-paid field with home value, exemptions, assessment rules, and parcel-level records.
Insurance costs 39.7 20.6% Clay Center insurance context should be read with housing age, replacement cost, roof condition, claim history, and nearby risk patterns.

Budget Fit

Clay Center should be read as a very small-community place where income, home value, rent, taxes, utilities, and insurance need to be checked together. Income is solid, so housing and taxes usually decide the budget picture, and home values are comparatively low, but maintenance, taxes, and utilities still matter.

Monthly Bills

The electricity value on this page is a Nebraska state-level EIA benchmark, not a city utility tariff. For Clay Center, that benchmark becomes useful when paired with home square footage, cooling load, HVAC age, insulation, and household usage.

Ownership Costs

Median property tax paid is $2,247 and median home value is $148,300. That makes the ownership read stronger than a single price estimate because taxes, insurance, maintenance, and financing terms can move the real monthly cost.

Comparison Angle

Use Nelson, NE as a local comparison before using a broad NE average. The nearby table below keeps the comparison tied to home value, taxes, and electric benchmarks instead of alphabetical city links.

Labor and Demographics

Unemployment is 3.0%, median age is 39.7, and bachelor-plus share is 20.6%. These fields help frame school demand, commute patterns, wage fit, and service-provider availability around Clay Center.

Source Discipline

City-specific ACS values are used where the place matches the cache. State-level EIA and BLS fields are labeled as benchmarks, so this page does not pretend those values are address-level or city-utility quotes.

Nearby comparison context for Clay Center
PlaceDistanceHome valueProperty taxElectric benchmark
Sutton, NE 12 mi $151k $2,159 $0.131/kWh
Hastings, NE 18 mi $177k $2,722 $0.131/kWh
Nelson, NE 22 mi $73k $683 $0.131/kWh
Aurora, NE 24 mi $222k $2,131 $0.131/kWh
Geneva, NE 24 mi $157k $1,657 $0.131/kWh

Data Freshness

This Clay Center, Nebraska dashboard was generated on 2026-06-18. The city metrics cache was refreshed on 2026-06-16; the nearby-city coordinate cache was refreshed on 2026-06-17.

  • City metrics: Census ACS place fields are city-specific where a matching place record exists.
  • State benchmarks: EIA electricity and BLS unemployment values are state-level context, not city provider tariffs or city labor surveys.
  • Nearby comparisons: Distance uses cached Census Gazetteer place coordinates when available.

Regional Data Explorer

Zoom out from Clay Center to nearby cities, Nebraska Area, and Nebraska benchmarks.

Open Explorer
Nearby Cities Nebraska Hub Nebraska Cost Benchmarks

Benchmark Preview

Clay Center 95.8
Home value
$189k
Property tax
$2,190
Electric rate
$0.154/kWh
County Avg 97.4
Home value
$178k
Property tax
$2,240
Electric rate
$0.158/kWh
NE Avg 101.2
Home value
$286k
Property tax
$3,180
Electric rate
$0.162/kWh

Local Service Cost Guides

Use these contractor-cost guides with the Clay Center dashboard to compare local housing, utility, tax, climate, and repair-cost context.

Plumber Rates for Clay Center $85-$165/hr planning range. Leak, drain, fixture, water heater, and emergency plumbing cost planning. Opens the deepest available state guide for Clay Center, Nebraska. Open state guide HVAC Installation for Clay Center $5,500-$14,500 planning range. AC, furnace, heat pump, ductwork, and seasonal system replacement planning. Opens the deepest available national guide for Clay Center, Nebraska. Open national guide Roof Replacement for Clay Center $8,000-$24,000 planning range. Roof replacement, leak repair, flashing, ventilation, and storm-exposure planning. Opens the deepest available national guide for Clay Center, Nebraska. Open national guide Electrician Rates for Clay Center $90-$175/hr planning range. Panel, outlet, EV charger, lighting, wiring, and inspection cost planning. Opens the deepest available national guide for Clay Center, Nebraska. Open national guide

Data note: City-profile values are local estimates for comparison and planning context.