In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline was constructed north to south through Clay County, with much controversy over tax exemption and environmental concerns. A pumping station named Riley was built along the pipeline.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
As of the 2000 census, there were 8,822 people, 3,617 households, and 2,517 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile. There were 4,084 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 97.72% White, 0.57% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population. There were 3,617 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples living together, 6.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 27.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.91. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.90% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 23.90% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 20.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.60 males. The median income for a household in the county was $33,965, and the median income for a family was $41,103. Males had a median income of $28,817 versus $17,760 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,939. About 6.80% of families and 10.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.60% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Presidential elections
Like all of Kansas outside the eastern cities, Clay County is overwhelmingly Republican. When Lyndon B. Johnson became in 1964 the last Democrat to carry the state's electoral votes, Clay County was his weakest in the state, giving over 62 percent of its votes to Barry Goldwater. The solitary Democrat to win a majority of Clay County's votes has been William Jennings Bryan in 1896, although Woodrow Wilson in a four-way race in 1912, and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 both obtained slim pluralities. Roosevelt in 1936, when he lost to Kansan Alf Landon by eighty-four votes, remains the last Democrat to win forty percent of the county's vote, and Jimmy Carter in 1976 is the last to pass thirty percent.
Clay County is divided into eighteen townships. The city of Clay Center is considered governmentally independent and is excluded from the census figures for the townships. In the following table, the population center is the largest city included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.
Notable people
Two former Kansas Governors resided in Clay County. George Docking was the 35th Governor, serving from January 14, 1957 until January 9, 1961. William H. Avery was the 37th Governor, from January 11, 1965 until January 9, 1967.
