Clay County, Iowa
Located in Iowa, Clay County has a population of 16,461 residents and a median age of 42.3 years, making it the #2,074 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.4%. The median home value is $178,600, and the median household income is $65,428, which is 13% below the national median.
Demographics
Clay County has a population of 16,461, making it the #2,074 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Clay County is $65,428, ranking #1,599 out of 3,222 counties — 12.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.4% and unemployment stands at 3.5%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Clay County is $178,600 (-36.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $811/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.3%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Clay County, 27.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 18.2% below the national average, ranking #961 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Clay County is 78.4 years. 14.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.5% of adults in Clay County smoke , 40.6% are obese , and 25.7% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 26.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.6 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
14.9% of children in Clay County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 12.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Clay County is 72.6%. The mean commute time is 19.1 min, which is 30.8% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Clay County voted Republican with a margin of 43.2%. The vote was 27.8% Dem / 71% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Clay County, Iowa
Clay County, Iowa has a total population of 16,461, making it the 2,074th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clay County is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Clay County is $65,428, which ranks #1,599 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.5%.
The median home value in Clay County is $178,600, 36.6% below the national median. Renters in Clay County pay a median gross rent of $811 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Clay County, 27.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 18.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 19.1 min.
Clay County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
All data for Clay County, Iowa comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.