Information Guide

A few interesting facts about Clay County.

• Land:
Clay County's beautiful mountain land area is 213 square miles and 136,903 acres.
Clay County has 110,096 acres of forested land, of which 65,935 acres are National Forest.
• Elevation:
Highest peak in Clay County is Tusquittee Bald, accessed via the Fires Creek Rim Trail, at 5,249 feet. The lowest elevation is 1,900 feet.
• History:
The county was created in 1861 from portions of Cherokee and Macon counties. It is named after Henry Clay, a noted statesman of the 1800s. Hayesville was incorporated in 1913 and named after George Hayes, who had campaigned on the promise to introduce legislation to create Clay County.
Historic Sites:
Clay County has two sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, This includes the Clay County courthouse on the square and Spikebuck Mound, an earthen mound located on the Hiwassee River outside of town. Fort Hembree, built to temporarily house the Cherokee people during the forced relocation called the Trail of Tears, was established in 1839.
• Population:
The county's population is 9,811, according to July 2005 reports. The population in 2000 totaled 8,775. Hayesville, the county's only town, has a population of 337.
The community of Brasstown has a population of 1,552; Hiwassee, 1,358; Shooting Creek, 1,291; Sweetwater, 723; and Tusquittee, 593. There are 3,847 households in the county, with about two-thirds comprised of families (2,727 households). The median age for residents of Clay County is 46.7, compared to the state average of 35.3.
• Climate:
Average rainfall totals about 65 inches per year. Summertime temperatures average about 85 degrees for a high and 60 for a low. In winter, temperatures average a high of 50 and a low of 10. It snows in Clay County, but only a few times per year. The last blizzard to hit Clay County was 1993.
• Taxes:
North Carolina imposes an income tax. County sales taxes are seven percent. Room and Board tax is three percent. Town taxes are based on a rate of .33 cents per $100 of valuation. County taxes are assessed at a rate of .40 per $100 valuation. Fire tax of 3 cents per $100 of value is used to fund Clay Central, Brasstown, Shooting Creek and Warne volunteer fire departments.

* This is an excerpt from the "2006 information Guide",
a free publication published by "Clay County Progress"