Clayton County, Iowa

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Clayton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,043.<ref name=cen2020>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Elkader.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was established in 1837 and was named in honor of John M. Clayton,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> United States Senator from Delaware and later Secretary of State under President Zachary Taylor.

Geography

File:Clayton County Route W68 IA.svg

Route W68 shield

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.8%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> It is the fifth-largest county in Iowa by area.

Geology

Clayton County is part of the Driftless Area, a region that completely missed being ice-covered during the last ice age. Streams have deeply carved valleys, while the Mississippi River has spectacular bluffs.

Demographics

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File:ClaytonCountyIowaPop2020.png

Population of Clayton County from US census data

2020 census

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2022 US Census population pyramid for Clayton County from ACS 5-year estimates

The 2020 census recorded a population of 17,043 in the county, with a population density of Template:Pop density. 97.51% of the population reported being of one race. 93.21% were non-Hispanic White, 0.93% were Black, 2.01% were Hispanic, 0.25% were Native American, 0.28% were Asian, 0.04% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 3.29% were some other race or more than one race. There were 8,758 housing units, of which 7,315 were occupied.<ref name=cen2020/>

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 18,130 in the county, with a population density of Template:Pop density. There were 8,999 housing units, of which 7,599 were occupied.<ref name="USCB">Template:Cite web</ref>

2000 census

As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 18,678 people, about 7,500 households, and 1 family residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 8,620 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 98.93% White, 0.14% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,375 households, out of which 30.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.70% were married couples living together, 6.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 18.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,068, and the median income for a family was $40,199. Males had a median income of $27,165 versus $19,644 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,930. About 5.70% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.60% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

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Unincorporated communities

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Townships

Clayton County is divided into these townships: Template:Div col

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Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Clayton County.<ref name=cen2020/>

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Population (2020 Census)
1	Postville (partially in Allamakee County)	2,503
2	Guttenberg	1,817
3	Monona	1,471
4	† Elkader	1,209
5	Strawberry Point	1,155
6	Edgewood (partially in Delaware County)	909
7	Garnavillo	763
8	McGregor	742
9	Marquette	429
10	Luana	301
11	Farmersburg	271
12	Volga	203
13	North Buena Vista	109
14	St. Olaf	106
15	Garber	76
16	Clayton	45
17	Osterdock	43
18	Elkport	29

Politics

Clayton County leaned Republican for most of its history, though starting in 1988 it saw a Democratic trend which lasted through 2012. In 2016 the county saw a heavy shift toward the Republican Party, and since then it has voted Republican by increasing margins; both 2020 and 2024 saw the strongest Republican support in the county since the landslide victory of Dwight Eisenhower in 1952.<ref>https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/</ref>