Clay County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Clay County, IA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 74% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Clay County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,461 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 28.7 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.01% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.8 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,282 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Clay County declined by 1.5% from 2010 to 2024, reaching 16,461 in 2024.
Population Growth 2010–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Clay County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 20.9% of residents. That is 3.2 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,991 18.2% -4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,955 18.0% -2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,314 20.1% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,441 20.9% +3.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Iowa, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.1% of the people living in Clay County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 48.9% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Clay County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Clay County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Clay County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,277 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.85% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Clay County is about 13% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Clay County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $241,666 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $811 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.3% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Clay County is about 24.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $811 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Clay County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 99 hours, about 4.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Clay County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.8 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.7 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 99 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,056 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,745 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 276 | 606 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Iowa:
Sioux County (10.1 min), Union County (10.4 min), Cass County (10.6 min).
Slowest:
Monroe County (30.4 min), Madison County (30.1 min), Mills County (26.7 min).
The average commute time in Clay County is 12 minutes, shorter than the 17 minutes in Iowa.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Clay County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Clay County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.2% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.4), Dallas County (0.4), Story County (0.4).
Lowest:
Crawford County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Louisa County (0.2).
Health
Clay County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Clay County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.0 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.4% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.9% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.8), Story County (0.8), Winneshiek County (0.8).
Lowest:
Davis County (0.8), Wayne County (0.8), Appanoose County (0.8).
Clay County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Clay County, IA compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, IA | 16,461 | $65,277 #2/2 | $241,666 #2/2 | 11.8 min #2/2 |
| Buena Vista County, IA | 20,753 | $72,416 | $319,753 | 11.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Clay County, Iowa.
What is the population of Clay County, Iowa?
About 16,461 people live in Clay County, Iowa, in 7,282 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 43.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Clay County, Iowa?
Averaged over its land area, Clay County, Iowa has 29 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 33% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Clay County, Iowa?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($241,666 against $65,277), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $811 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Clay County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Clay County, Iowa is only 3.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Clay County, Iowa?
24.2% of adults in Clay County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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