As early as 1827, the area was referred to as Patterson's Mills. Clifton was platted in 1840, and named for the nearby cliffs on the Little Miami River. A post office called Clifton has been in operation since 1832.
As of the census of 2010, there were 152 people, 64 households, and 39 families living in the village. The population density was. There were 80 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the village was 92.1% White, 2.6% African American, 1.3% Asian, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population. There were 64 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couplesliving together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 10.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.1% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age in the village was 45.5 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19% were from 25 to 44; 37.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 179 people, 71 households, and 51 families living in the village. The population density was 1,011.8 people per square mile. There were 80 housing units at an average density of 452.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 88.83% White, 1.68% African American, 1.12% Native American, and 8.38% from two or more races. There were 71 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.96. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.3 males. The median income for a household in the village was $42,679, and the median income for a family was $43,750. Males had a median income of $43,750 versus $33,125 for females. The per capita income for the village was $24,073. About 7.1% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.
