Clayton County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Clayton 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 averageLess healthy than 86% of counties in Iowa
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 89% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Clayton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,012 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 21.5 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.52% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.5 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,509 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Clayton County declined by 3.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 17,012 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Clayton County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.3% of residents. That is 5.7 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,837 16.7% -5.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,846 16.7% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,645 21.4% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,970 23.3% +5.7 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 49.6% of the people living in Clayton County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 50.4% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Clayton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Clayton County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Clayton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,353 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.28% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Clayton County is about 10% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Clayton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $98,997 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $789 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.0% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Clayton County is about 10.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $789 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Clayton County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 142 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Clayton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.1 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.2 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 142 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,412 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 318 | 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 Clayton County is about the same as 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
Clayton County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Clayton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.0% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.23 | 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
Clayton County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Clayton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.7 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.3% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.0% | 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).
Clayton County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Clayton County, IA compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton County, IA | 17,012 | $67,353 #2/2 | $98,997 #2/2 | 17.1 min #2/2 |
| Dubuque County, IA | 99,026 | $78,371 | $307,368 | 13.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Clayton County, Iowa.
What is the population of Clayton County, Iowa?
About 17,012 people live in Clayton County, Iowa, in 7,509 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 46.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Clayton County, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Clayton County, Iowa has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 25% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Clayton County, Iowa?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($98,997 against $67,353), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $789 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Clayton County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Clayton County, Iowa is only 2.5%, 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 Clayton County, Iowa?
16.0% of adults in Clayton County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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