Clayton is a very small village located in the state of New York. With a population of 1,701 people and two associated neighborhoods, Clayton is the 641st largest community in New York. Much of the housing stock in Clayton was built prior to World War II, making it one of the older and more historic villages in the country.

The population of Clayton is very well educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation, where the average community has 21.84% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 36.26% of adults in Clayton have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.

The per capita income in Clayton in 2022 was $45,744, which is upper middle income relative to New York and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $182,976 for a family of four. However, Clayton contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

The people who call Clayton home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Clayton residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Clayton include Irish, English, Italian, German, and French.

The most common language spoken in Clayton is English. Other important languages spoken here include Polish and Italian.