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Location

Central East Coast Location

A map showing drive times from Clayton to large citiesClayton, NC is located on the East Coast of the United States, about halfway between New York and Florida. We're a short 2-hour drive to the white sand beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, 3 ½ hours from the mountains, and a quick 5-hour drive to Washington, D.C.

By the Numbers

2 hours to the Atlantic Ocean, 2.5 hours to Charlotte, 5 hours to Washington DC


Central North Carolina Location

Clayton, which is part of the Research Triangle Region of North Carolina, sits on the western edge of Johnston County, nestled between Interstate 40, Interstate 95, and future Interstate 42. These connections place Clayton just minutes from the City of Raleigh, and only 2 ½ hours from Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC.

A map showing Clayton's location in relation to Raleigh and a number of highways


Workforce

As the population and business/industry presence grows in Clayton, so does the Towns workforce, and there are many resources to support that workforce pipeline, from middle school students all the way to active job seekers of any age. 

JoCo Works

The JoCo Works initiative is an industry-led collaborative for eighth grade students supported by education, business, civic, and government partners created to meet the Johnston County, North Carolina workforce needs of the future. 

Workforce Development Center

The 30,000-square-foot Workforce Development Center (WDC) supports educational and technical skills training in business and the sciences. The WDC is a collaborative effort between Johnston County, Johnston County Public Schools, Johnston County Economic Development and the College, as well as local industries.

Capital Area Workforce Development

Capital Area Workforce Development (CAWD) is dedicated to working with businesses in Johnston and Wake Counties that are in search of candidates with the appropriate skills needed for open positions. Concurrently, they work alongside job seekers no matter what career stage they are in. From recent grads to working professionals looking for something new, they deliver rewarding career opportunities, skill development and preparedness resources, creating a seamless cycle of employment and growth throughout the region. There is an NCWorks Career Center located in Clayton.

Industry Presence

Clayton and its residents are blessed to have some of the world's most admired corporations in and around town. Not only do they provide outstanding jobs, they are also very involved in our community - supporting local schools, charities and area non-profits. Clayton is especially know for its connection to the life sciences and manufacturing industries. As part of the BioPharma Crescent of Eastern North Carolina, Clayton is home to many world-class and innovative industry partners., including the single largest manufacturing investment in North Carolina.

Learn more about the industry presence in Clayton here.

Bio Pharma Crescent Map

Utilities and Infrastructure

Clayton prides itself as a community that operates reliable, high-quality electric, water, and sewer infrastructure. Through strong public-private partnerships, our business community works with Town staff and elected officials to ensure that public facilities and services required for current and future growth are in place and in the works to keep up with demand. The Town of Clayton can provide all of your electric, water, sewer, waste collection, and irrigation services, depending on your location within our jurisdiction. Learn more about the Town of Clayton's Utilities and Infrastructure here.

Incentives

The Town of Clayton and Johnston County are both able to create appropriately aggressive, performance-based incentives, which take into account a company's capital investment and job creation plans. The Town also supports various state and local incentives. Learn more here, and give the Economic Development Department a call to further explore options.

Projects and Development

Learn more about current proposed, approved and/or completed projects and Developments using the Town of Clayton's online development maps. Here you can explore the development, zoning, future land use, transportation planning, and environmental maps. 

Retail DataMap of the Clayton area

Focus Categories

  • General merchandise
  • Grocery
  • Dining
  • Sporting goods

Demographics

  • Estimated population: 51,478 (36,433)
  • Median household income: $66,700 ($58,980)
  • Growth rate: 6.80% (11.55%)

Demographic data represents 10-minute drive time from downtown Clayton. Data compiled by Retail Strategies based on publicly available information.

For more information, check out the detailed Clayton, NC 2022 Market Guide.