ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Clarke County, Iowa

FIPS 19039 · Population 9,662
9 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$71,641
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.2%
Unemployment
4% national
$639M
GDP
16%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 9,662 residents. These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates, which carry a wide margin of error for places under 20,000 people. Read each value as an approximate range, and treat year-over-year changes as indicative rather than exact. A small shift can reflect survey sampling, not a real change on the ground.

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$71,641
Per Capita
$37,883
Mean Household
$95,019
Poverty Rate
9.7% approx.
Median Income Comparison
Clarke County$71,641
Iowa$75,059
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 19.9% (1,924 residents) 55-64: 12.1% (1,169 residents) 35-54: 22.8% (2,203 residents) 18-34: 19.6% (1,896 residents) Under 18: 25.6% (2,470 residents) 38 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 25.6%
18-34 · 19.6%
35-54 · 22.8%
55-64 · 12.1%
65+ · 19.9%
Race & Ethnicity
White80.5%
Black or African American0.1%
Asian0.6%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)16.8%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
89.3%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▼ 0.3 pts
16%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 19.7 pts
5.8%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 8.3 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
9,662
Population
4,816
Labor Force
Employed
4,612
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.2% ▲ +0.3 pts YoY
Mean Commute 2 min below national avg
24.3 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
8.9%
Key Takeaways
  • Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 19.7 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$639M
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP1 Regional GDP

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual
Top industries by employment in Clarke County, Iowa, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Manufacturing
1,547 60.8%
$64,331
2Retail Trade
544 21.4%
$30,414
3Construction
115 4.5%
$39,247
4Wholesale Trade
112 4.4%
$63,842
5Finance and Insurance
88 3.5%
$74,002
6Administrative and Support and Waste Management
60 2.4%
$43,277
7Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
34 1.3%
$64,710
8Other Services (except Public Administration)
27 1.1%
$42,742
9Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
10 0.4%
$31,831
10Management of Companies and Enterprises
9 0.4%
$47,965
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Manufacturing employs 1,547 workers (60.8% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $64,331.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $639M (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Finance and Insurance averages $74,002 while Retail Trade averages $30,414, a 2.4x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Location Quotient Analysis

Concentrated Industries
Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · Location Quotient vs. national employment share
Same source as the Top Industries table above, sub-sector view surfaces the specialization the supersector view masks (e.g., Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing inside the Manufacturing supersector).
Animal Production and Aquaculture
28.56x
236
Accommodation
4.53x
266
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
3.59x
115
2.79x
1,934

Cluster Depth

Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Goods-Producing Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
1,934
Cluster Employment
2.79x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Animal Production and Aquaculture
28.56x 236
Accommodation
4.53x 266
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
3.59x 115
2.79x 1,934

Attraction Opportunities

LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.23x
Administrative and Support Services
60 employed
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Animal Production and Aquaculture concentrates at 28.56x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity to site selectors.
  • Cluster depth: 4 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
  • Attraction whitespace: 7 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Clarke County's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of total private-sector employment across all NAICS supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$161,100
Median Home Value vs 2019
$931
Rent/Mo
72.3%
Owner-Occ
10%
Vacancy
2.2x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Affordable
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$682/mo
1 Bedroom
$803/mo
2 Bedroom
$919/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,222/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,227/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,791/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 2.2x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction and family settlement narratives.
  • High home ownership: 72.3% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Broadly affordable rents: All 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,791/mo), a clear cost-of-living advantage for workforce attraction.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
5,268
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 2 min below national avg
24.3 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
8.9%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
88%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 67% of working-age population (18-64) 67% Participation
▼ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
16%
HS Diploma+
89.3%
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
28,295/yr
University of Iowa 9,271/yr
Iowa State University 8,469/yr
Des Moines Area Community College 4,028/yr
University of Northern Iowa 2,755/yr
Kirkwood Community College 2,365/yr
Iowa Western Community College 1,407/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
22.2%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
29.6%
Service
18.7%
Sales & Office
12.3%
Construction / Maint.
13.1%
Production / Transport
26.2%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 4,612 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Succession risk is real: 22.2% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
  • Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 21,768 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources

Sample AI Insight

Clarke County shows strong potential for animal production and aquaculture attraction, with a 28.56x concentration and 236 jobs in this sub-sector. It ranks in the top decile nationally. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 22.2% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.

The interconnected base across animal production and aquaculture, accommodation, and gasoline stations and fuel dealers creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Clarke County, Iowa, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Clarke County, Iowa?

9,662 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Clarke County, Iowa?

$71,641 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Clarke County, Iowa?

3.2% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Clarke County, Iowa?

$639M (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).