Clarke County, Iowa Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Clarke County is located in Iowa with a total population of 9,662. It is the 77th most populous county out of 99 in Iowa. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Clarke County is 37.9 years. This is 2% lower than the state median of 38.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Clarke County is $71,641. This is 5% lower than the state median of $75,059. It is also 11% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 9.7%. This is 12% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.1%. The unemployment rate is 4.2%. This is 18% higher than the state rate of 3.6%. The median home value is $161,100. Housing costs are 23% lower than the state median of $208,000. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.2x, Clarke County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 72.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Clarke County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 77.5% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 16.8%. The Black or African American population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 3.8%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (16.8% vs 7.3%). The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 2.5%.

Education

16.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 49% lower than the state rate of 31.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Clarke County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Iowa and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.