Clay County land: flood and parcels
15,262 parcels
On the county tax roll
- Acres on the roll297,834
- In a FEMA flood zone17%special flood hazard area
Property tax calendar
Illinois 2026 taxes are billed in 2027: the first installment is due no earlier than June 1, 2027.
- First installment
- Not before June 1, 2027The date on the county's bill; late taxes bear 1.5% a month
- Second installment
- Not before September 1, 2027The date on the county's bill
- Assessment appeals
- 30 days after the assessment list is publishedFile with the county board of review
Sources: Illinois Property Tax Code 35 ILCS 200/21-15, 35 ILCS 200/21-25, 35 ILCS 200/21-30 and 35 ILCS 200/16-55. Checked Oct 13, 2026.
Free account: 25 parcel cards a day on the map, with sale history, road access and elevation. Get started free
What land sells for in Clay County
Land here sold for $5,300–$9,400 an acre (12 sales, Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
| Size | Middle half | Median | Sales | Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 10 acres | $6,000–$9,100 an acre | $7,000 | 10 | Oct 2025–Sep 2026 |
| 10 acres or more | $5,300–$9,400 an acre | $7,400 | 12 | Oct 2025–Sep 2026 |
The middle half (25th to 75th percentile) and the median of arm's-length single-parcel land sales. Source: Illinois Department of Revenue PTAX-203 declarations, land or farm at the sale, screen S1. Recorded sales, not an estimate of any parcel.
No zoning layer for Clay County yet. Zoning here is set town by town.
Around Clay County
Towns in Clay County
- Flora2,751 parcels
- Clay City687 parcels
- Louisville681 parcels
- Xenia309 parcels
- Iola134 parcels
- Sailor Springs132 parcels
Flood zones and wetlands
Recorded flood claims in Clay County
Fewer than 10 insured flood claims were recorded in Clay County from 1978 to Sep 2026. FEMA counts claims on buildings with NFIP flood insurance, so land without an insured building never shows here.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data.
Farmland rent in Clay County
Cropland in Clay County rents for about $197 an acre a year (USDA, 2025).
- Cropland rent
- $197 an acrenon-irrigated, 2025; $154 in 2021
- Farmland rent as a share of price
- 2.5%of a median $7,750 an acre paid in 56 sales of 10+ acres, Nov 2023–Oct 2026
Rent: USDA NASS county cash rents survey, 2026 (released August 21, 2026), public domain. Sale prices: Illinois Department of Revenue transfer declarations (PTAX-203). Farmland rent in every Illinois county →
How the rent-to-price figure works
A year’s cash rent for an acre, divided by the median price an acre paid for the same kind of land in this county over the last three years: sales of a single parcel of 10 acres or more, never lots or house sites. Sales counted: Illinois transfer declarations (IDOR PTAX-203) of 10 acres or more that the parties declared as farm property, single-parcel deeds for value with none of the form’s related-party, distress or partial-interest answers checked. Where fewer than 10 such sales were recorded, or their prices range too widely, no figure is shown. A low share usually means land here is priced for something other than farming, such as homes or development.
What land here is worth and produces
Published land values, crops, forest and farm programs for Clay County
- Farmland value (Census of Agriculture)
- $6,235 an acreAverage value of land and buildings on the county's farms, 2022 · USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Farms
- 671 farms on 227,457 acresAverage 339 acres, median 80; 187,059 acres of cropland; 5,673 of pasture; 29,461 of woodland, 2022 · USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture
- What the farms sell
- grains and soybeans 93% · hogs 5%Share of the $169 million of farm products sold in 2022 · USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Crops grown
- soybeans 50% · corn 37% · winter wheat then soybeans 9%Share of the county's 189,141 acres of crops and hay, 2025 · USDA NASS Cropland Data Layer 2025, classified from satellite imagery
- Land cover
- cropland 62% · grass, hay and pasture 11% · forest 16% · wetlands 4% · developed 5%Share of the county's 300,677 acres of land and water, 2025 · USDA NASS Cropland Data Layer 2025, classified from satellite imagery
- Forest
- 48,914 acres, 16% of the countyDeciduous 98% of the forest; woody wetlands counted apart · USDA NASS Cropland Data Layer 2025, classified from satellite imagery
- Conservation Reserve (CRP)
- 15,423 acres, average $176 an acre a yearAcres under contract at the end of fiscal year 2025, paid a yearly rent to keep them in grass or trees instead of crops; a new contract's county average soil rental rate is $197 an acre for 2026 · USDA FSA Conservation Reserve Program statistics
- Timber price (black walnut)
- $1,710 a thousand board feetStumpage, statewide average stumpage, Fall-Winter 2025 (−6.0% on Spring-Summer 2025); white oak $730; red oak $320; cherry $300 · Illinois Timber Prices, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forest Resources (survey of timber buyers and mills)
- Farmland assessment
- Farmland assessment by soil productivityLand farmed for the two prior years is assessed on the certified value of its soils' productivity index, not its market value. · 2027 certified values: cropland at least $166.03 an acre; pasture one third of cropland; other farmland one sixth (Illinois Department of Revenue, April 20, 2026). · 35 ILCS 200/10-110 to 10-160
Sources: USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture (2022) · USDA NASS Cropland Data Layer (2025) · USDA FSA Conservation Reserve Program statistics (2025) · Illinois Timber Prices, Fall-Winter 2025 · Farmland assessment by soil productivity. Published survey and census figures for the area, not an appraisal of any parcel.
People and new homes in Clay County
- Population12,793July 2025 estimate, −3.6% since 2020
- Median household income$60,4172020–2024 average, ±$11,361
- New homes permitted22025, 2 single-family; 5 in 2021
- Permitted so far in 20262Jan–Aug, against 1 a year earlier
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 (May 2026); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year (B19013) (Jan 2026); U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (Sep 2026).
Illinois land market report · Illinois land prices by quarter
Land in Clay County by useLand use on the county roll
| Land class | Parcels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Building on record | 7,384 | 48% |
| Other or not coded | 7,248 | 47% |
| Farm and timber | 628 | 4.1% |
| Residential lot | 2 | under 0.1% |
628 farm and timber parcels cover 22,961 acres. County tax roll, as of Oct 2026; land class read from the roll's land-use and building fields.
Typical lot sizeThe typical lot, from the roll
The median parcel in Clay County is 9.41 acres (15,261 parcels with a size).
Acres from the county roll, or from the parcel's own outline where the roll's figure is off by more than three times. Condominium units that share one point (each carrying the whole complex's acres) are left out of the lot sizes.
Land parcels in Clay CountyFarm and timber parcels to start with
- 1 St Ave 110.4 acres
- 104.3 acres of farm and timber land
- 145 Dandelion Rd 100.7 acres
- 515 Galilee Ln Ingraham 99.8 acres
- 97.7 acres of farm and timber land
- 94.4 acres of farm and timber land
- 92.9 acres of farm and timber land
- 85.2 acres of farm and timber land
- 84.1 acres of farm and timber land
Farm and timber parcels of an acre or more, each with its own page of public roll facts.
Questions about Clay County landAnswers from the public records
How many parcels are in Clay County, IL?
15,262 parcels on the Clay County parcel layer (pulled Oct 2026), covering 297,834 acres.
Is vacancy verified in Clay County, IL?
Vacancy not verified: each parcel page says whether the county roll or building footprints show a building.
What is the typical lot size in Clay County?
The median parcel is 9.41 acres, from 15,261 parcels with a recorded size.
How much of Clay County is in a flood zone?
17% of parcels are in a FEMA special flood hazard area (National Flood Hazard Layer, as of Oct 2026). Check each parcel's own flood line before you buy.
Are there wetlands in Clay County?
4.8% of parcels are a quarter or more wetland on the USFWS National Wetlands Inventory, a mapping guide, not a legal delineation.
How many people live in Clay County?
About 12,793 (Census estimate for July 1, 2025), −3.6% since 2020.
How many new homes are being built in Clay County?
Building permits authorized 2 new housing units in 2025 and 2 from January to Aug 2026 (against 1 a year earlier) (Census Building Permits Survey).
Where does this data come from?
Parcels: Clay County parcels: a copy published by The Sidwell Company, the county's mapping vendor (layer as of Feb 2024; not the current roll). Flood: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer. Wetlands: USFWS National Wetlands Inventory. Towns: U.S. Census places. Every figure is counted from those files on our map.
About these numbersSources, dates and how these figures are built
Sources
Parcels: Clay County parcels: a copy published by The Sidwell Company, the county's mapping vendor (layer as of Feb 2024; not the current roll) (pulled Oct 2026); flood: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (as of Oct 2026); wetlands: USFWS National Wetlands Inventory (as of Oct 2026); sales: the county's own file, through Sep 2026; counted on our map built Oct 2026.