2024 results by precinct
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Margin—
Turnout—
Harris +50Trump +50
Real precinct boundaries. Hover for vote totals.
38 presidential elections
| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 2,944 | 2,574 | 5,657 | |
| 2020 | D | 3,083 | 2,456 | 5,698 | |
| 2016 | D | 2,608 | 2,109 | 5,069 | |
| 2012 | D | 2,955 | 2,147 | 5,234 | |
| 2008 | D | 3,808 | 2,296 | 6,242 | |
| 2004 | D | 3,315 | 2,692 | 6,136 | |
| 2000 | R | 2,363 | 2,638 | 5,105 | |
| 1996 | D | 2,980 | 2,008 | 5,572 | |
| 1992 | D | 2,826 | 1,869 | 6,036 | |
| 1988 | D | 2,859 | 2,307 | 5,200 | |
| 1984 | R | 2,711 | 3,057 | 5,808 | |
| 1980 | R | 2,271 | 3,004 | 6,316 | |
| 1976 | R | 2,593 | 2,647 | 5,301 | |
| 1972 | D | 2,821 | 2,518 | 5,352 | |
| 1968 | R | 2,006 | 2,249 | 4,386 | |
| 1964 | D | 2,599 | 1,802 | 4,401 | |
| 1960 | R | 1,878 | 2,772 | 4,650 | |
| 1956 | R | 1,928 | 2,632 | 4,560 | |
| 1952 | R | 1,412 | 3,302 | 4,714 | |
| 1948 | R | 2,080 | 2,228 | 4,361 | |
| 1944 | R | 1,796 | 1,970 | 3,766 | |
| 1940 | R | 2,266 | 2,463 | 4,729 | |
| 1936 | D | 3,070 | 1,692 | 5,035 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,040 | 1,514 | 4,624 | |
| 1928 | R | 1,474 | 2,573 | 4,057 | |
| 1924 | R | 492 | 1,415 | 3,345 | |
| 1920 | R | 907 | 1,885 | 3,046 | |
| 1916 | R | 1,000 | 1,207 | 2,246 | |
| 1912 | D | 929 | 0 | 2,266 | |
| 1908 | R | 803 | 1,291 | 2,154 | |
| 1904 | R | 361 | 1,723 | 2,226 | |
| 1900 | R | 1,037 | 1,387 | 2,459 | |
| 1896 | R | 1,061 | 1,238 | 2,320 | |
| 1892 | R | 164 | 918 | 1,711 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Demographics
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
American
100.0%
African American
1.4%
Multiple ancestry combinations reported; no single grouping above 1%.
American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander combined.
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.
Age distribution by sex
Median age: 24.9 in this county, 39.1 nationally
Male
Age
Female
85+
75–84
65–74
55–64
45–54
35–44
25–34
18–24
5–17
<5
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Median household income
2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
$56,850
Clay County ranks near the middle of US counties.
Clay County$56,850
South Dakota$75,081
United States$80,734
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Poverty rate
All persons below federal poverty line
19.7%
Children face moderate poverty.
Children under 1818.0%
Working age (18–64)100.0%
Seniors (65+)18.0%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
0.0%
speak English only
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 65.9% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.
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.
The Democratic margin in Clay County reached its widest at forty-one points in 1912. The margin in 2024 was seven points — still decisive.
Clay County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $56,850, a 85% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 15,219 together describe a community whose political habits are deeply settled. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Buffalo County and Warren County.
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