Map the Block › Places › Iowa › Clay County
Clay County, Iowa in numbers: crime, income, hazards
FBI reports put Clay County at 0.90 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 66% lower than the rate for Iowa (2.7). The median household earns $65,428 and the unemployment rate was 3.0% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 16,461 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Clay County?
Police agencies in Clay County reported an average of 15 violent crimes and 135 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. The violent rate, 0.90 per 1,000 people, is 66% lower than the Iowa rate (2.7); nationally it is 3.7. Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 8.2 per 1,000 residents, compared with 13.6 across Iowa.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Clay County | Per 1,000 | Iowa per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 15 | 0.90 | 2.7 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 8 | 0.48 | 0.42 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.06 | 0.20 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 6 | 0.36 | 2.0 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 135 | 8.2 | 13.6 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 23 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 108 | 6.5 | 9.9 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 4 | 0.27 | 1.5 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (2 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Clay County?
Half of households in Clay County make more than $65,428 and half make less; across Iowa the midpoint is $75,059. The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $178,600 by its owners; renters pay a median $811. 9.4% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 8.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.0% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 263 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Clay County | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,461 | 3,210,507 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $65,428 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $178,600 | $208,000 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $811 | $972 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 3.5% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 11.4% | 11.1% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 9.4% | 8.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 27.5% | 31.4% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 73.3% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 42.3 | 38.6 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 89.5% | 88.9% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 5.5% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Clay County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Clay County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Clay County, active or completed (October 2026).
Disasters, air and water
Clay County was covered by 4 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Severe Storm 3, Flood 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 5 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest).
Is there road construction in Clay County?
Clay County had 7 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (3 active that day). Listed roads include US-71 and US-18. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Clay County?
Clay County has 6 public schools (2024-25) and 2 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 2 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 7 fire or EMS stations and 2 police or sheriff stations.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Clay County
Gun shops
3 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Clay County, plus 9 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Bomgaars (Spencer), Dunham's Sports 9082 (Spencer) and Walmart #2714 (Spencer).
Liquor stores
One liquor store is on the map in Clay County: C's Spencer Liquor Store (Spencer). Iowa has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Clay County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Clay County?
Clay County averaged 15 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 0.90 per 1,000 residents, 66% lower than the Iowa rate (2.7). The property-crime rate was 8.2 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Clay County?
$65,428 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $75,059 for Iowa and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Clay County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.0% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 263 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Clay County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Clay County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here.
Is there road construction in Clay County right now?
Clay County had 7 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (3 active that day). Listed roads include US-71 and US-18.
How many nursing homes are in Clay County?
2 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Clay County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista County | 20,753 | 2.1 | $71,719 |
| Cherokee County | 11,600 | 0.98 | $71,269 |
| Dickinson County | 17,990 | 0.95 | $75,432 |
| Emmet County | 9,262 | 2.5 | $63,730 |
| O'Brien County | 14,126 | 2.3 | $68,356 |
| Osceola County | 6,100 | 1.3 | $69,239 |
| Palo Alto County | 8,863 | 1.6 | $72,781 |
| Pocahontas County | 7,046 | 0.64 | $61,875 |
More: Iowa statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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