Clay County, IA

County

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2021 Population

16,410

1.69% 1-year growth

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2021 Median Age

1.44% 1-year decrease

2021 Poverty Rate

12.2%

17.8% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$52,307

2.04% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$134,000

3.32% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Clay County, IA had a population of 16.4k people with a median age of 41 and a median household income of $52,307. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Clay County, IA grew from 16,138 to 16,410, a 1.69% increase and its median household income grew from $51,259 to $52,307, a 2.04% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Clay County, IA are White (Non-Hispanic) (92.7%), White (Hispanic) (2.36%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.05%), Two+ (Hispanic) (1.07%), and Other (Hispanic) (0.658%).

None of the households in Clay County, IA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.4% of the residents in Clay County, IA are U.S. citizens.

In 2021, the median property value in Clay County, IA was $134,000, and the homeownership rate was 69.8%.

Most people in Clay County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Clay County, IA was 2 cars per household.

Clay County, IA borders Buena Vista County, IA, Cherokee County, IA, Dickinson County, IA, Emmet County, IA, O'Brien County, IA, Osceola County, IA, Palo Alto County, IA, and Pocahontas County, IA.

United States Iowa Spencer, IA

Population & Diversity

Clay County, IA is home to a population of 16.4k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of 2021, 1.42% of Clay County, IA residents were born outside of the country (233 people).

In 2021, there were 39.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (15.2k people) in Clay County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 388 White (Hispanic) and 336 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

99.4%

2021 Citizenship

99.1%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 99.4% of Clay County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Clay County, IA was 99.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Clay County, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Clay County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
15.2k ± 59
White (Hispanic)
388 ± 142
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
336 ± 52.2

4.09%

Hispanic Population

671 people

4.09% of the people in Clay County, IA are hispanic (671 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Clay County, IA as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

1.42%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

233 people

2.04%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

329 people

As of 2021, 1.42% of Clay County, IA residents (233 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Clay County, IA was 2.04%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Clay County, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
359 ± 118
Gulf War (2001-)
187 ± 86
Korea
123 ± 58

Clay County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.92 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Clay County, IA employs 8.14k people. The largest industries in Clay County, IA are Retail Trade (1,139 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,132 people), and Manufacturing (942 people), and the highest paying industries are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($62,938), Wholesale Trade ($62,770), and Utilities ($58,796).

Employment

Occupations

8.14k

2021 Value

± 596

1.29%

1 Year growth

± 10%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Clay County, IA grew at a rate of 1.29%, from 8.04k employees to 8.14k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Clay County, IA, are Management Occupations (1,027 people), Sales & Related Occupations (958 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (846 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Clay County, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

8.14k

2021 Value

± 596

1.29%

1 Year growth

± 10%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Clay County, IA grew at a rate of 1.29%, from 8.04k employees to 8.14k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Clay County, IA, are Retail Trade (1,139 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,132 people), and Manufacturing (942 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Clay County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Clay County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,088

Median earning men ± $2,308

$30,085

Median earning women ± $3,099

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Wholesale Trade ($64,306), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,076), and Public Administration ($56,696).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Wholesale Trade ($49,167), Public Administration ($48,750), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($43,650).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Iowa.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

209
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
148
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
138
Wholesale Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Iowa to other states, or from other states to Iowa.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

Meat/seafood
$20.6B
Mixed freight
$19.9B
Machinery
$19.1B

In 2020, the top outbound Iowa product (by dollars) was Meat/seafood with $20.6B, followed by Mixed freight ($19.9B) and Machinery ($19.1B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Iowa products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Iowa.

$252B

2020 Value in Iowa

$518B

Projected 2050 Value in Iowa

105% growth

In 2020, total outbound Iowa trade was $252B. This is expected to increase 105% to $518B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Iowa trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Iowa to other states, or from other states to Iowa.

Most Common Trade Partners

Illinois
$21.2B
Minnesota
$16.2B
Texas
$10.8B

In 2020, the top outbound Iowa domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Illinois with $21.2B, followed by Minnesota with $16.2B and Texas and $10.8B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Iowa shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Clay County, IA went to Donald J. Trump with 68.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (29.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.13%).

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (68.7%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (29.7%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.13%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Clay County, IA went to Donald J. Trump with 68.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (29.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.13%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Clay County, IA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Chuck Grassley

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 1981

Joni Ernst

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Iowa

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Iowa have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Measure

In 2021, 0.63% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.621% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (742k), Some college (567k), and Bachelors Degree (459k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Clay County, IA was $134,000 in 2021, which is 0.547 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $129,700 to $134,000, a 3.32% increase. The homeownership rate in Clay County, IA is 69.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Clay County, IA have an average commute time of 19.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Clay County, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Clay County, IA is $52,307. In 2021, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Clay County, IA was Census Tract 801 with a value of $66,786, followed by Census Tract 804 and Census Tract 802, with respective values of $63,636 and $41,429.

Property

$134,000

Median Property Value 2021

±$8,804

$4,981

Median Property Taxes

±$432

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Clay County, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Clay County, IA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

69.8%

Homeownership

2021

61.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 69.8% of the housing units in Clay County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 67.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Clay County, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 801
Census Tract 804
Census Tract 802

In 2021, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Clay County, IA was Census Tract 801 with a value of $66,786, followed by Census Tract 804 and Census Tract 802, with respective values of $63,636 and $41,429.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Clay County, IA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$52,307

Median Household Income

± $5,309

7.14k

Number of Households

± 547

In 2021, the median household income of the 7.14k households in Clay County, IA grew to $52,307 from the previous year's value of $51,259.

The following chart displays the households in Clay County, IA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Clay County, IA is from Iowa.

0.439

2021 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.438

2020 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2021, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.439 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.221% growth from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Iowa across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (77.8%)
Worked At Home (8.71%)
Carpooled (8.24%)

In 2021, 77.8% of workers in Clay County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.71%) and those who carpooled to work (8.24%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

19.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Clay County, IA have a shorter commute time (19.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 2.34% of the workforce in Clay County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Clay County, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Clay County, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Clay County, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Clay County, IA (1.97k out of 16.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Clay County, IA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94.8% of the population of Clay County, IA has health coverage, with 45.3% on employee plans, 19.4% on Medicaid, 16.8% on Medicare, 11.8% on non-group plans, and 1.52% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Clay County, IA see 1144 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.694% decrease from the previous year (1152 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 940 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 254 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,144 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Clay County, IA

Primary care physicians in Clay County, IA see an average of 1,144 patients per year. This represents a 0.694% decrease from the previous year (1,152 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Clay County, IA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.8% under 18 years, 17.7% between 18 and 34 years, 37.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.19%

Uninsured

45.3%

Employer Coverage

19.4%

Medicaid

16.8%

Medicare

11.8%

Non-Group

1.52%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Clay County, IA grew by 10.6% from 4.69% to 5.19%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Clay County, IA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Clay County, IA.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2022, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 35.7% in Clay County, IA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Clay County, IA.

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