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Small town

Living in Clarion, IA

Clarion is a small town of 2,770 people in Wright County, Iowa. It's about 49 miles from Ames, IA and 156 miles from Minneapolis, MN, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 85°F and winter highs 26°F, with about 31 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $116k and rent runs about $763 a month.

2,770people
$116kTypical home
$763/moRent
85° / 26°Summer / winter
31"Snow
233Sunny days
88Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Small town of 2,770
  • A standalone small town, not a suburb
  • About 825 people per sq mi
  • 156 mi to Minneapolis, MN
  • 49 mi to Ames, IA
  • 27 mi to the nearest town of 10k+

Money

  • Typical home $116k (≈$733/mo)
  • Median rent $763/mo
  • Median household income $65k
  • Property tax about 1.4% of value
  • 2.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 85°F
  • Winter highs around 26°F
  • Somewhat humid summers (dew point 62°F)
  • 233 sunny days a year (82 totally clear)
  • 132 cloudy days a year
  • 40 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 88 days a year with rain or snow
  • 31" of snow a year
  • 12 days a year with 1"+ of snow
  • Rarely hits 100°F
  • 51 nights a year below 10°F
  • Windier than most places

Safety

  • Very low violent crime (65 per 100k)
  • Very low property crime (265 per 100k)

People

  • Median age 41
  • 28% of households have kids
  • 20% are 65 or older
  • 26% have a college degree
  • Mixed community
  • 2% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 16 min
  • 2% walk or take transit to work
  • 27 mi to FOD airport
  • 83 mi to DSM (major hub)
  • 120 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 80% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1965
  • 86% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Flat, open land
  • Elevation 1,171 ft
  • 828 mi to the ocean
  • 202 mi to a big lake
  • 67 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 50 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 6 mi to the nearest campground
  • 10 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 15 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • Few or no bars within 25 mi
  • 3 coffee shops within 25 mi
  • No music venues & clubs within 25 mi
  • 11 museums within 25 mi
  • No breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
  • 67 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the bottom 15% of Iowa districts (reading)
  • Grocery store in town
  • 1 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 49 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 10 mi to the nearest vet
  • 30 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 20 congregations per 10k people
  • 37 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Wright County: R+37 in 2024
  • Iowa: R+13 in 2024

Natural hazards

  • Very low hurricane risk
  • High tornado risk
  • Very low wildfire risk
  • Very low earthquake risk
  • Moderate flood risk
  • Low drought risk
  • High winter storm risk
  • Low heat wave risk
  • Very low volcano risk

Places near Clarion

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