Clay County, North Carolina
AkashicClay County, NCTrumpR+50.0
2024 precinct map of Clay CountyPrecinct-level 2024 presidential results for Clay County, with each precinct boundary colored by Democratic-vs-Republican margin, and gold where an independent or third-party candidate carried the precinct.
How it voted
Share of the 2024 vote
| Donald Trump ✓Republican | 74.5% | 5,761 |
|---|---|---|
| Kamala HarrisDemocratic | 24.6% | 1,899 |
| Chase OliverLibertarian | 0.2% | 16 |
Harris +50Trump +50
9 precincts · 7,728 votes. Hover any precinct for its result.
The precinct map shows the 2024 presidential vote; the timeline scrubs the county’s overall result across 1892–2024.
38 presidential elections
| Year | Won | Democratic | Republican | Other | Margin | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 24.6%Harris1,899 | 74.5%Trump5,761 | 0.2%Oliver16 | 7,728 | ||
| R | 24.6%Biden1,699 | 74.2%Trump5,112 | 0.7%Jorgensen46 | 6,893 | ||
| R | 22.7%Clinton1,367 | 73.8%Trump4,437 | 2.4%Johnson143 | 6,010 | ||
| R | 28.0%Obama1,579 | 70.4%Romney3,973 | 1.6%Johnson90 | 5,642 | ||
| R | 31.3%Obama1,734 | 66.9%McCain3,707 | 1.8%Barr102 | 5,543 | ||
| R | 33.5%Kerry1,628 | 65.9%Bush3,209 | 0.6%Badnarik29 | 4,866 | ||
| R | 35.3%Gore1,361 | 62.7%Bush2,416 | 1.9% | 3,852 | ||
| R | 40.0%Clinton1,462 | 48.4%Dole1,769 | 10.6%Perot387 | 3,655 | ||
| R | 40.4%Clinton1,600 | 47.7%Bush1,890 | 11.7%Perot465 | 3,960 | ||
| R | 37.0%Dukakis1,289 | 62.5%Bush2,174 | 0.5%Fulani17 | 3,480 | ||
| R | 37.0%Mondale1,340 | 62.4%Reagan2,259 | 0.6%Bergland20 | 3,619 | ||
| R | 37.3%Carter1,324 | 60.2%Reagan2,136 | 2.5%Anderson87 | 3,547 | ||
| D | 52.1%Carter1,569 | 47.4%Ford1,428 | 0.5%Anderson15 | 3,012 | ||
| R | 33.6%McGovern797 | 65.2%Nixon1,545 | 1.2%Schmitz28 | 2,370 | ||
| R | 33.5%Humphrey847 | 54.9%Nixon1,390 | 11.6%Wallace293 | 2,530 | ||
| D | 53.1%Johnson1,457 | 46.9%Goldwater1,286 | 0.0% | 2,743 | ||
| R | 43.3%Kennedy1,264 | 56.7%Nixon1,657 | 0.0% | 2,921 | ||
| R | 47.2%Stevenson1,287 | 52.8%Eisenhower1,442 | 0.0% | 2,729 | ||
| R | 49.9%Stevenson1,439 | 50.1%Eisenhower1,443 | 0.0% | 2,882 | ||
| D | 50.8%Truman1,307 | 47.1%Dewey1,213 | 2.1%Thurmond55 | 2,575 | ||
| R | 49.6%Roosevelt1,245 | 50.4%Dewey1,263 | 0.0% | 2,508 | ||
| D | 53.4%Roosevelt1,349 | 46.6%Willkie1,176 | 0.0% | 2,525 | ||
| R | 46.8%Roosevelt1,340 | 53.2%Landon1,525 | 0.0% | 2,865 | ||
| D | 51.3%Roosevelt1,341 | 48.4%Hoover1,265 | 0.3%Thomas8 | 2,614 | ||
| R | 44.9%Smith903 | 55.1%Hoover1,106 | 0.0% | 2,009 | ||
| R | 46.2%Davis953 | 52.9%Coolidge1,090 | 0.9%La Follette18 | 2,061 | ||
| R | 45.3%Cox755 | 54.7%Harding911 | 0.0% | 1,666 | ||
| R | 46.9%Wilson400 | 53.1%Hughes453 | 0.0% | 853 | ||
| O | 47.9%Wilson372 | 2.2%Taft17 | 49.9%Roosevelt387 | 776 | ||
| D | 51.6%Bryan343 | 48.3%Taft321 | 0.2%Debs1 | 665 | ||
| D | 50.4%Parker336 | 48.7%Roosevelt325 | 0.9%Debs6 | 667 | ||
| D | 50.6%Bryan404 | 49.4%McKinley394 | 0.0% | 798 | ||
| D | 61.4%Bryan476 | 38.6%McKinley299 | 0.0% | 775 | ||
| D | 53.1%Cleveland383 | 35.5%Harrison256 | 11.4%Weaver82 | 721 | ||
| — | — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | — | — |
presidential history
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | +17.6% |
| 1896 | +22.8% |
| 1900 | +1.3% |
| 1904 | +1.6% |
| 1908 | +3.3% |
| 1912 | +45.7% |
| 1916 | −6.2% |
| 1920 | −9.4% |
| 1924 | −6.6% |
| 1928 | −10.1% |
| 1932 | +2.9% |
| 1936 | −6.5% |
| 1940 | +6.9% |
| 1944 | −0.7% |
| 1948 | +3.7% |
| 1952 | −0.1% |
| 1956 | −5.7% |
| 1960 | −13.5% |
| 1964 | +6.2% |
| 1968 | −21.5% |
| 1972 | −31.6% |
| 1976 | +4.7% |
| 1980 | −22.9% |
| 1984 | −25.4% |
| 1988 | −25.4% |
| 1992 | −7.3% |
| 1996 | −8.4% |
| 2000 | −27.4% |
| 2004 | −32.5% |
| 2008 | −35.6% |
| 2012 | −42.4% |
| 2016 | −51.1% |
| 2020 | −49.5% |
| 2024 | −50.0% |
DemocraticRepublican
voter registration
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
DemocraticRepublicanUnaffiliatedOther parties
| Year | Total registered | Democratic | Republican | Unaffiliated | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 8,295 | 2,856 | 3,329 | 2,107 | 3 |
| 2012 | 9,093 | 2,711 | 3,513 | 2,848 | 21 |
| 2016 | 9,040 | 2,232 | 3,627 | 3,145 | 36 |
| 2020 | 9,135 | 1,636 | 4,185 | 3,245 | 69 |
| 2022 | 9,691 | 1,472 | 4,634 | 3,527 | 58 |
| 2024 | 10,356 | 1,392 | 5,125 | 3,774 | 65 |
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections
Tucked into the Blue Ridge highlands on North Carolina's southwestern tip, Clay County delivered a 50-point Republican presidential margin in 2024, reflecting the deep rural conservatism that has steadily reshaped mountain communities across the region.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 45.7 points in 1912 and a Republican high of 51.1 points in 2016. The 2024 margin was 50.0 points.
A population of 11,610, a 90% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $56,971 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Cherokee County and Fannin County.
Most similar counties
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Clay County, North Carolina. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/37043/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
Embed this page
A live widget for your site — no API key, attribution built in, CC BY 4.0. All widgets & sizes →
North Carolina at the ballot boxAll elections →
More in North Carolina
Frequently asked questions
How did Clay County, North Carolina vote in 2024?
In 2024, Clay County, North Carolina voted Republican by 50.0 points (R+50.0), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 7,728 votes cast, 1,899 went Democratic and 5,761 went Republican.
When did Clay County, North Carolina last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Clay County, North Carolina voted Democratic was 1976.
How many people live in Clay County, North Carolina?
Clay County, North Carolina has a population of 11,610 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Clay County, North Carolina?
Median household income in Clay County, North Carolina is $56,971 — below the national median of $80,734. The North Carolina state median is $72,388.
What is the political history of Clay County, North Carolina?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Clay County, North Carolina from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 10 went Democratic and 23 went Republican.