Clay is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 60,527, making it Syracuse's most populous suburb. The town was named after American attorney and statesman Henry Clay.

Clay is north of Syracuse. It is the largest town in the county, contains part of the village of North Syracuse, and is a suburb of Syracuse. It contains the major retail strip of Syracuse's northern suburbs, along New York State Route 31 (NY-31), including the currently defunct Great Northern Mall.

Prior to European settlement in the area, Clay was inhabited by the Onondaga Nation, part of the Iroquois Confederacy, some of whose descendants still live in the area today. Clay was within the Central New York Military Tract. The town was once known as West Cicero and was founded by strangers about 1791. The Town of Clay was formed in 1827 from the Town of Cicero, one of the original townships of the military tract.

In October 2022, Micron Technology pledged $100 Billion for a giant semiconductor complex in the White Pine Commerce Park located in Clay.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 48.8 square miles (126 km), of which 48.0 square miles (124 km) is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km) (1.60%) is water.

The northern town line is the border of Oswego County, marked by the Oneida River. The Seneca River marks the western town line. Both these rivers join into the Oswego River near the community of Three Rivers. The renovated Erie Canal follows the rivers around the border of Clay.

New York State Route 31 is an east–west highway through the town. New York State Route 481 intersects NY-31 west of Euclid.

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Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	2,095		—
1840	2,852		36.1%
1850	3,402		19.3%
1860	3,583		5.3%
1870	3,156		−11.9%
1880	2,910		−7.8%
1890	2,630		−9.6%
1900	2,578		−2.0%
1910	2,431		−5.7%
1920	2,488		2.3%
1930	3,560		43.1%
1940	4,050		13.8%
1950	7,001		72.9%
1960	17,760		153.7%
1970	36,274		104.2%
1980	52,838		45.7%
1990	59,749		13.1%
2000	58,805		−1.6%
2010	58,206		−1.0%
2020	60,527		4.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 58,805 people, 22,294 households, and 15,940 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,224.9 inhabitants per square mile (472.9/km). There were 23,398 housing units at an average density of 487.4 per square mile (188.2/km). The racial makeup of the town was 92.13% White, 3.50% African-American, 0.47% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.39% of the population.

There were 22,294 households, out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $90,412, and the median income for a family was $97,493. Males had a median income of $40,387 versus $27,996 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,011. About 4.1% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Clay is covered by Moyers Corners Fire Department and Clay Fire Department, with small sections covered by North Syracuse, Caughdenoy, and Brewerton Fire Departments.

Clay maintained its own police department until 2008, when the Clay Police Department merged with the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office.

• Stacey Castor, convicted murderer
• Patrick Corbin, pitcher for the Washington Nationals
• Matilda Maranda Crawford, newspaper correspondent
• Richard Gere, actor - grew up on Fay Park Drive and graduated from North Syracuse High School in 1967.
• James W. Ostrander, politician
• Jack Smith, attorney

• Syracuse, New York
• Weedsport

• Clay history and genealogy links
• Official website