Clayton County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19043 Republican

Located in Iowa, Clayton County has a population of 17,013 residents and a median age of 46.4 years, making it the #2,035 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.9%. The median home value is $168,500, and the median household income is $67,242, which is 11% below the national median.

17,013
Population
#2,035 of 3,222
$67,242
Median Income
-10.5% #1,409 of 3,222
46.4 years
Median Age
+19.3% #543 of 3,222
10.9%
Poverty Rate
-13.4% #991 of 3,222

Demographics

Clayton County has a population of 17,013, making it the #2,035 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.4 years, which is 19.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.7%
Native Born
2.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Clayton County is $67,242, ranking #1,409 out of 3,222 counties — 10.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.9% and unemployment stands at 2.5%.

Income#1,409
$67,242
-10.5%
vs nation
56th percentile
Per Capita#1,010
$38,594
-6.5%
vs nation
69th percentile
Poverty#991
10.9%
-13.4%
vs nation
69th percentile
Unemployment#460
2.5%
-52.5%
vs nation
86th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Clayton County is $168,500 (-40.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $790/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.0%.

Home Value#1,840
$168,500
-40.2%
vs nation
43th percentile
Rent#2,172
$790
-32.1%
vs nation
32th percentile
Homeownership#961
78.0%
+21.1%
vs nation
70th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Clayton County, 14.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 57.0% below the national average, ranking #2,888 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.5% −57.0% vs nation
Rank #2,888 of 3,222
10th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Clayton County is 79.1 years. 15.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#388
79.1
+5.2%
vs nation
87th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#663
15.5%
-20.8%
vs nation
79th percentile
Diabetes#880
9.6%
-13.8%
vs nation
72th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#569
33.3%
-10.7%
vs nation
82th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#503
5.0
-10.5%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#706
3.9
-12.3%
vs nation
78th percentile
Uninsured Rate#681
6.6%
-36.6%
vs nation
78th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,505
25.7%
-2.6%
vs nation
52th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,160
13.0%
-9.8%
vs nation
63th percentile

Substance Use

16.9% of adults in Clayton County smoke , 40.6% are obese , and 24.5% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,247
16.9%
-5.9%
vs nation
60th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,239
40.6%
+7.1%
vs nation
29th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,944
24.5%
+23.2%
vs nation
6th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 18.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.3 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,322
18.4
-6.6%
vs nation
48th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#984
14.9
-16.5%
vs nation
60th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,255
17.3
-14.8%
vs nation
56th percentile

Families & Children

12.8% of children in Clayton County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 8.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#303
8.6
-60.6%
vs nation
90th percentile
Child Poverty#725
12.8%
-32.6%
vs nation
77th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Clayton County is 70.5%. The mean commute time is 24.7 min, which is 10.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.7 min −10.6% vs nation
Rank #2,015 of 3,222
37th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Clayton County voted Republican with a margin of 34.5%. The vote was 32.2% Dem / 66.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +34.5%
32.2% 66.7%
Dem 9,381 votes Rep
2020 REP +28.8%
34.8% 63.6%
Dem 9,594 votes Rep
2016 REP +22.8%
35.6% 58.4%
Dem 9,098 votes Rep
2012 DEM +6.9%
52.8% 45.9%
Dem 9,035 votes Rep
2008 DEM +17.2%
57.8% 40.6%
Dem 8,989 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Clayton County, Iowa

Clayton County, Iowa has a total population of 17,013, making it the 2,035th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clayton County is 46.4 years, which is 19.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Clayton County is $67,242, which ranks #1,409 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 10.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.9%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.5%.

The median home value in Clayton County is $168,500, 40.2% below the national median. Renters in Clayton County pay a median gross rent of $790 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Clayton County, 14.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 57.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.7 min.

Clayton County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 95.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).

All data for Clayton 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.