Clay County, North Carolina
Clay County, North Carolina, has 12,239 residents (July 2025 estimate). Its county seat is Hayesville. It uses Eastern Time and covers 215 sq mi (557 km²) of land.
- Resident population, July 2025
- 12,239
- Land area
- 215 sq mi (557 km²)
- County seat or government
- Hayesville
- Time zone
- Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
- Median household income
- $56,971 ± $8,915
- Median home value
- $278,400 ± $32,756
- Median rent, with utilities
- $804 ± $238
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 81.2% ± 3.2 points
- County type
- County
- Metro or micro area
- Outside any metro or micro area
- Water area
- 5.81 sq mi (15 km²)
- State
- North Carolina
- County code (FIPS)
- 37043
- Coordinates (central point)
- 35.052997, -83.752264
These coordinates mark a central point for the area, not a street address. Income, home value, rent and homes lived in by their owners: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, ± margin at 90% confidence; checked on October 13, 2026.
Time zones in Clay County
| Time zone | Local time and UTC offset | Next clock change |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern TimeAmerica/New_York | UTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July. Enable JavaScript for the live clock. | Enable JavaScript for upcoming changes. |
Near a time-zone line, check where you are with the time-zone finder. Your phone’s setting can differ.
ZIP Code areas, largest first
5 ZIP Code areas overlap Clay County. People counts are 2020–2024 estimates for each whole ZIP area. Mailing ZIPs can differ; check an address with USPS ZIP Code Lookup.
Official county information
We don’t have a website for this county yet. The US government’s local-office directory ↗ lists its offices. A geographic lookup cannot determine eligibility, tax liability or a court obligation.
Townships in Clay County, largest first
- Hayesville Township4,541 people
- Shooting Creek Township1,952 people
- Hiawassee Township1,762 people
- Brasstown Township1,560 people
- Tusquittee Township1,228 people
- Sweetwater Township567 people
People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. All townships in North Carolina, by county
School districts in Clay County, largest first
- Clay County Schools11,610 people
Districts with land in the county; a district can cross county lines. People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. A district boundary doesn’t decide which school a student attends.
Cities, towns and communities, largest first
These areas overlap the mapped boundary; an overlap does not mean that every address belongs to both.
- Hayesville, North Carolina (town)1,208 people
Bordering areas, nearest first
Distances are straight lines between map points.
- Towns County, Georgia10 mi south
- Cherokee County, North Carolina18 mi west
- Macon County, North Carolina20 mi east
- Union County, Georgia20 mi southwest
- Rabun County, Georgia23 mi southeast
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