Clayton, North Carolina
AffordabilityAffordability: grade C, better than 25% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 14% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 33% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B, better than 57% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 34% of US places
- top 15% for airport distance
- bottom 4% for school quality
Clayton is a mid-size city in North Carolina with about 27,000 residents. It grades B for getting around and D for weather. Standout strengths include airport distance, natural disaster risk, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on monthly owner costs and school quality.
- The median home value in Clayton is $260k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Clayton is $72k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Clayton is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Clayton has a violent crime rate of 673/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Clayton is 32 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Wet · Light snow
cold
cool
comf.
warm
hot
warm
comf.
cool
64%54%clearovercast
Precipitation 5.4 in3.7 in
muggy 80%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$72k63rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$54kbetter than 23% of US places
Home Value$260k72nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 21% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$6kbetter than 6% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.97%better than 52% of US places
Income Tax4.50%better than 61% of US places
Sales Tax7.00%better than 60% of US places
Estimated total tax burden10.33%better than 42% of US places
Unemployment1.8%better than 70% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)42°F76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)81°F77th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation52.1 in85th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall3.2 inbetter than 71% of US places
Sunny Days194 daysbetter than 17% of US places
Summer Humidity69°Fbetter than 20% of US places
Comfortable Days79 daysbetter than 42% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk48.8better than 72% of US places
Air Quality47 AQIbetter than 47% of US places
School Quality31.8better than 4% of US places
Violent Crime673/100kbetter than 53% of US places
Property Crime1232/100kbetter than 39% of US places
Community
Population26,83795th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age32.614th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5286th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9749th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+2550th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)58.0%22nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)23.5%91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)13.8%79th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.8%69th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.8%60th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time32 minbetter than 18% of US places
Walkability6.6/20better than 52% of US places
Airport Distance24 mibetter than 85% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access86.2%better than 50% of US places
Amenities Nearby33.54better than 30% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 48% of US places
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Clayton an affordable place to live?
- Clayton is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $54k, better than 23% of comparable areas. Median rent is $1k.
- Is Clayton safe?
- Clayton is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 673/100k (better than 53%). Property crime is 1232/100k.
- What is the weather like in Clayton?
- Clayton averages 81°F in July and 42°F in January, with 52.1 in of annual precipitation and about 194 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Clayton?
- Public-school quality in Clayton is below average, scoring better than 4% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Clayton?
- The average one-way commute in Clayton is 32 min.