City · Rabun County, Georgia

Clayton, Georgia

Clayton is a city in Rabun County, Georgia. It has 2,018 residents. Clayton, Georgia has a quality-of-life score of 52 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #7,575 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Georgia it ranks #62 of 386 cities and towns. It ranks best on access to exercise opportunities (high), pharmacies (high) and restaurants and bars (high). It ranks worst on average weekly wage (low), traffic deaths (high) and uninsured residents (under 65) (high).

52Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #7,575 of 15,651 cities and towns
Georgia: #62 of 386 in GA
Population: 2,018 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 593.8 /mi²
FIPS code: 1316656

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety61#6,137/15,637
Economy34#10,373/15,631
Housing36#9,562/14,977
Health25#11,740/15,609
Healthcare37#9,887/15,650
Environment82#2,746/15,453
Education34#10,262/15,649
Infrastructure37#9,904/15,650
Community81#2,959/15,651
Leisure & amenities96#680/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Clayton, Georgia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Rabun County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Access to exercise opportunities · high100.0%
100/100Georgia 74.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRabun County value
Pharmacies · high3.4 /10k
98/100Georgia 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsRabun County value
Restaurants and bars · high16.9 /10k
97/100Georgia 8.5 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsRabun County value
Job growth · high3.7%
96/100Georgia 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataRabun County value
Grocery stores · high3.4 /10k
96/100Georgia 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsRabun County value
Child care cost burden · low19.4%
96/100Georgia 23.0%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRabun County value

Weaknesses

Average weekly wage · low$839
2/100Georgia $1,404United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsRabun County value
Traffic deaths · high42.7 /100k
2/100Georgia 15.1 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataRabun County value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high28.8%
3/100Georgia 14.0%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.501
7/100Georgia 0.477United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Injury deaths · high132 /100k
8/100Georgia 80 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRabun County value
Child poverty rate · high35.4%
11/100Georgia 16.9%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
67.3% (2015-2019) → 85.0% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
58.4% (2015-2019) → 42.0% (2020-2024)
−16 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$33,417 (2015-2019) → $57,083 (2020-2024)
+71%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
New homes permittedWorsening
6.5 /1k (2021) → 2.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−69%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Average commute timeImproving
26.2 min (2015-2019) → 14.2 min (2020-2024)
−46%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Rent as share of incomeImproving
32.9% (2015-2019) → 27.1% (2020-2024)
−5.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Clayton, Georgia improved on 3 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Commute−12.0 min26.2 min → 14.2 min
Household income+71%$33,417 → $57,083
Broadband+18 points67.3% → 85.0%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Clayton, Georgia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	26.2 min2015-2019	14.2 min2020-2024	−12.0 min	Improved	99%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.5%2015-2019	25.5%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Broadband subscriptions	67.3%2015-2019	85.0%2020-2024	+18 points	Improved	86%
Child poverty rate	40.6%2015-2019	35.4%2020-2024	−5.2 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Effective property tax rate	0.74%2015-2019	0.57%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	52%
High school diploma or higher	81.0%2015-2019	81.7%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Home price to income ratio	3.9×2015-2019	4.4×2020-2024	+0.5×	Within the margin of error	47%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5682015-2019	0.5012020-2024	−0.067	Within the margin of error	90%
Median household income	$33,4172015-2019	$57,0832020-2024	+71%	Improved	95%
Poverty rate	21.5%2015-2019	20.8%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	50%
Rent as share of income	32.9%2015-2019	27.1%2020-2024	−5.8 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Rent-burdened households	58.4%2015-2019	42.0%2020-2024	−16 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	23.4%2015-2019	28.8%2020-2024	+5.4 points	Within the margin of error	9%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Clayton, Georgia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Clayton, Georgia in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Clayton, Georgia itself moved +19.1 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,018 residents (±373)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

944 households (±172)

Clayton, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $25k27%†257
$25k–50k21%†197
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

944 households (±172)

Clayton, Georgia
Georgia share

Own63%599
Rent37%†345

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

945 workers (±231)

Clayton, Georgia
Georgia share

Drive alone66%628
Carpool12%†112
Public transit0.0%0

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Rabun County, the county holding most of Clayton's residents.

Rabun County has 535 employer establishments, 306 for every 10,000 residents (1.23× the US rate of 248; 1.29× Georgia's), with 5,271 paid employees at an average annual pay of $39,130. The Census Bureau also counts 2,100 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 535; 2,100 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 306; US 248 · Georgia 236
Paid employees: 5,271
Average annual pay: $39,130; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Rabun County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	49	28	1.81×More than typical	255	$47,188	262
Restaurants and other eating places	45	25.7	1.40×More than typical	621	$24,842	7
Construction of buildings	39	22.3	2.95×More than typical	147	$46,531	176
Ambulatory health care services	27	15.4	0.74×Fewer than typical	187	$72,112	61
Full-service restaurants	27	15.4	2.01×More than typical	332	$27,081	3
Lessors of real estate	25	14.3	1.16×About typical	56	$47,500	233
Religious organizations	20	11.4	2.06×More than typical	85	$24,706	—
Building equipment contractors	19	10.9	1.80×More than typical	151	$52,861	40
Limited-service restaurants	16	9.1	1.14×About typical	278	$21,468	—
Real estate agents and brokers	16	9.1	1.88×More than typical	20	$80,700	68
Traveler accommodation	15	8.6	4.75×More than typical	365	$25,203	16
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	12	6.9	1.69×More than typical	23	$31,609	22

Rank places for an industry Open Rabun County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 17,492 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Clayton, Georgia: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

HYDRA ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION, LLC$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

3.5KFY2017
2.9KFY2018
3.4KFY2019
5KFY2020
907.2FY2021
23.1KFY2023
0FY2024
13.8KFY2025
0

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Clayton, Georgia, so they do not add up across cities.

Clayton, Georgia's figures are part of those of Rabun County, GA ($4.4M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Clayton is mostly in Rabun County.

See federal money in Rabun County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Clayton, Georgia is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Andrew S. ClydeR-GA-9 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 4.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Rabun County63100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Rabun County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1316656

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends