Clay County, South Dakota
AkashicClay County, SDHarrisD+6.5
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
| Kamala Harris ✓Democratic | 52.0% | 2,944 |
|---|---|---|
| Donald TrumpRepublican | 45.5% | 2,574 |
| Robert F KennedyIndependent | 1.7% | 97 |
Harris +50Trump +50
11 precincts · 5,657 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 52.0%Harris2,944 | 45.5%Trump2,574 | 1.7%Kennedy97 | 5,657 | ||
| D | 54.1%Biden3,083 | 43.1%Trump2,456 | 2.8%Jorgensen159 | 5,698 | ||
| D | 51.4%Clinton2,608 | 41.6%Trump2,109 | 5.8%Johnson295 | 5,069 | ||
| D | 56.5%Obama2,955 | 41.0%Romney2,147 | 2.5%Johnson132 | 5,234 | ||
| D | 61.0%Obama3,808 | 36.8%McCain2,296 | 2.2%Nader138 | 6,242 | ||
| D | 54.0%Kerry3,315 | 43.9%Bush2,692 | 2.1%Nader129 | 6,136 | ||
| D | 51.7%Gore2,638 | 46.3%Bush2,363 | 2.0% | 5,105 | ||
| D | 53.5%Clinton2,980 | 36.0%Dole2,008 | 9.1%Perot505 | 5,572 | ||
| D | 46.8%Clinton2,826 | 31.0%Bush1,869 | 21.6%Perot1,303 | 6,036 | ||
| D | 55.0%Dukakis2,859 | 44.4%Bush2,307 | 0.7%Paul34 | 5,200 | ||
| R | 46.7%Mondale2,711 | 52.6%Reagan3,057 | 0.7%Serrette40 | 5,808 | ||
| R | 36.0%Carter2,271 | 47.6%Reagan3,004 | 16.5%Anderson1,041 | 6,316 | ||
| R | 48.9%Carter2,593 | 49.9%Ford2,647 | 1.2%Macbride61 | 5,301 | ||
| D | 52.7%McGovern2,821 | 47.0%Nixon2,518 | 0.2%Schmitz13 | 5,352 | ||
| R | 45.7%Humphrey2,006 | 51.3%Nixon2,249 | 3.0%Wallace131 | 4,386 | ||
| D | 59.1%Johnson2,599 | 40.9%Goldwater1,802 | 0.0% | 4,401 | ||
| R | 40.4%Kennedy1,878 | 59.6%Nixon2,772 | 0.0% | 4,650 | ||
| R | 42.3%Stevenson1,928 | 57.7%Eisenhower2,632 | 0.0% | 4,560 | ||
| R | 30.0%Stevenson1,412 | 70.0%Eisenhower3,302 | 0.0% | 4,714 | ||
| R | 47.7%Truman2,080 | 51.1%Dewey2,228 | 1.2%Thurmond53 | 4,361 | ||
| R | 47.7%Roosevelt1,796 | 52.3%Dewey1,970 | 0.0% | 3,766 | ||
| R | 47.9%Roosevelt2,266 | 52.1%Willkie2,463 | 0.0% | 4,729 | ||
| D | 61.0%Roosevelt3,070 | 33.6%Landon1,692 | 5.4%Lemke273 | 5,035 | ||
| D | 65.7%Roosevelt3,040 | 32.7%Hoover1,514 | 1.5%Thomas70 | 4,624 | ||
| R | 36.3%Smith1,474 | 63.4%Hoover2,573 | 0.2%Thomas10 | 4,057 | ||
| O | 14.7%Davis492 | 42.3%Coolidge1,415 | 43.0%La Follette1,438 | 3,345 | ||
| R | 29.8%Cox907 | 61.9%Harding1,885 | 8.3%Debs254 | 3,046 | ||
| D | 53.7%Wilson1,207 | 44.5%Hughes1,000 | 1.7%Benson39 | 2,246 | ||
| O | 41.0%Wilson929 | 0.0%Taft0 | 59.0%Roosevelt1,337 | 2,266 | ||
| R | 37.3%Bryan803 | 59.9%Taft1,291 | 2.8%Debs60 | 2,154 | ||
| R | 16.2%Parker361 | 77.4%Roosevelt1,723 | 6.4%Debs142 | 2,226 | ||
| R | 42.2%Bryan1,037 | 56.4%McKinley1,387 | 1.4%Woolley35 | 2,459 | ||
| R | 45.7%Bryan1,061 | 53.4%McKinley1,238 | 0.9%Palmer21 | 2,320 | ||
| R | 9.6%Cleveland164 | 53.7%Harrison918 | 36.8%Weaver629 | 1,711 | ||
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presidential history
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | −44.1% |
| 1896 | −7.6% |
| 1900 | −14.2% |
| 1904 | −61.2% |
| 1908 | −22.7% |
| 1912 | +41.0% |
| 1916 | +9.2% |
| 1920 | −32.1% |
| 1924 | −27.6% |
| 1928 | −27.1% |
| 1932 | +33.0% |
| 1936 | +27.4% |
| 1940 | −4.2% |
| 1944 | −4.6% |
| 1948 | −3.4% |
| 1952 | −40.1% |
| 1956 | −15.4% |
| 1960 | −19.2% |
| 1964 | +18.1% |
| 1968 | −5.5% |
| 1972 | +5.7% |
| 1976 | −1.0% |
| 1980 | −11.6% |
| 1984 | −6.0% |
| 1988 | +10.6% |
| 1992 | +15.9% |
| 1996 | +17.4% |
| 2000 | +5.4% |
| 2004 | +10.2% |
| 2008 | +24.2% |
| 2012 | +15.4% |
| 2016 | +9.8% |
| 2020 | +11.0% |
| 2024 | +6.5% |
DemocraticRepublican
Home to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, Clay County tilts Democratic in a deeply red state — a pattern driven largely by student population and academic employment concentrated in a single small city.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 41.0 points in 1912 and a Republican high of 61.2 points in 1904. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 4.5 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 6.5 points.
A population of 15,219, a 84% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $56,850 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Eau Claire County and Linn 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 →
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All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Clay County, South Dakota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/46027/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Cities & towns in Clay County
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Frequently asked questions
How did Clay County, South Dakota vote in 2024?
In 2024, Clay County, South Dakota voted Democratic by 6.5 points (D+6.5), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 5,657 votes cast, 2,944 went Democratic and 2,574 went Republican.
When did Clay County, South Dakota last vote Republican?
The most recent presidential election in which Clay County, South Dakota voted Republican was 1984.
How many people live in Clay County, South Dakota?
Clay County, South Dakota has a population of 15,219 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Clay County, South Dakota?
Median household income in Clay County, South Dakota is $56,850 — below the national median of $80,734. The South Dakota state median is $75,081.
What is the political history of Clay County, South Dakota?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Clay County, South Dakota from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 15 went Democratic and 17 went Republican.