Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetIA-CLINTON-IA · Clinton, IA 24,425 pop · income 31st pct · 12 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Clinton
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Clinton on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Kankakee · lowest
45,119
Kankakee · lowest
45,119 median HH income
43.6% of the leader · rank #1
Round Lake Pa… · near
57,486
Round Lake Pa… · near
57,486 median HH income
55.6% of the leader · rank #2
Clinton · this city
57,493
Clinton · this city
57,493 median HH income
55.6% of the leader · rank #3
Pitkas Point · near
57,500
Pitkas Point · near
57,500 median HH income
55.6% of the leader · rank #4
Meredosia · near
57,500
Meredosia · near
57,500 median HH income
55.6% of the leader · rank #5
Wataga · near
57,500
Wataga · near
57,500 median HH income
55.6% of the leader · rank #6
Johnston · highest
103,430
Johnston · highest
103,430 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Clinton on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 24,425.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Clinton - the verdict
Nationally, Clinton sits in the 31st percentile for household income and the 15th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
31st
percentile, household income
15th
percentile, home value
11th
percentile, median rent
15th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Clinton, IA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 24,425 residents in Clinton, a small city within Iowa. Median household income here is $57,493 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 13.8%. Clinton's housing stock carries a median value of $115,400, and the median resident age is 42.8 years. Educational attainment runs 21.6% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 54.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 36 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Slowing), down 12% from five years earlier. Clinton's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 3086.3 crimes per 100,000 residents, above the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 50.2°F with 36.5 inches of precipitation per year and 31.9 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Iowa scores 87.8 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $989 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Iowa run around $212, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 18.6 minutes, with 81.1% driving alone and 3.6% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 39.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Clinton's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from within-city variation to comparison shortlist to schools and households to reported crime to work and mobility to population change to housing and income to climate and hazard context; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Clinton, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, annual population history, within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Within-city variation
What can 12 Census tracts reveal inside Clinton?
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 12 Census tracts to this city.
Which cities make useful reference points for Clinton?
Within Iowa, the closest population matches are Johnston (24,196 residents, $103,430 income); Fort Dodge (24,788 residents, $61,769 income); Burlington (23,800 residents, $55,274 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Benbrook, TX (24,430 residents); Riverside, OH (24,432 residents); Oak Harbor, WA (24,396 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
The NCES join finds 6 public schools within the city match. 21.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Clinton?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3086.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 35% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Clinton?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 81.1%. The reported mean trip to work is 18.6 minutes.
Public transit
0.7%
Work from home
3.6%
Drive alone
81.1%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 10,573 workers age 16+.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -395 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 36 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-1.6%
2025 estimate
24,049
2020 estimate
24,444
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
How far does income reach against housing in Clinton?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.0 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 13.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
Household income
$57,493
Home value
$115,400
Value / income
2.0×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 50.2°F, with 36.5 inches of precipitation and 31.9 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Iowa is 39.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
50.2°F
Annual precipitation
36.5 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
39.7
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Below median income · poverty 13.8% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
87.8 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average
D
City profile score · Clinton, IA
42/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A+
87.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share F
21.6%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$57,493
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
13.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
360 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Clinton profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 94/100 (A+) · 87.8 index
Bachelor's+ share: 39/100 (F) · 21.6%
Household income: 31/100 (F) · $57,493
Poverty rate: 25/100 (F) · 13.8%
Violent crime: 25/100 (F) · 360 /100k
Where Clinton sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Clinton's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Clinton highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Clinton, IA (this city): home $115,400, crime 3,086/100k
Benbrook, TX : home $278,200, crime 2,091/100k
Oak Harbor, WA : home $421,700, crime 991/100k
Faribault, MN : home $233,900, crime 1,437/100k
Johnston, IA : home $346,200, crime 826/100k
Fort Dodge, IA : home $128,900, crime 4,257/100k
Burlington, IA : home $115,800, crime 2,239/100k
Muscatine, IA : home $146,900, crime 1,474/100k
Ottumwa, IA : home $92,400, crime 3,014/100k
Coralville, IA : home $286,000, crime 2,197/100k
How does Clinton compare to other US cities?
Clinton measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income31% higher than other cities
Home value15% pricier than other cities
Median rent11% pricier than other cities
Safety15% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Iowa alone, Clinton ranks #134 of 141 Iowa cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Clinton against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Iowa only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Iowa-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Clinton near the bottom of Iowa's cities
Among the 858 Iowa cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Clinton ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Clinton only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#593 of 845
30th percentile in Iowa
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 858
0th percentile in Iowa
Median Home Value
#440 of 849
48th percentile in Iowa
Poverty Rate
#113 of 858
87th percentile in Iowa
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#278 of 858
67th percentile in Iowa
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Iowa only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
31st percentile nationally for median household income · 15th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Clinton's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Clinton's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Clinton's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$115,400Among the most affordablemore affordable than 85% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Clinton's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.0×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#1,650 of 15,516
More affordable than 89% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#66 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.0×, Clinton sits in the affordable band:
national rank #1,650 of 15,516 and #66 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$57,493Clinton, IA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Clinton, IA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Clinton, IA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)21.6%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)13.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)54.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
24,425
Median Income
$57,493
Median Home Value
$115,400
Median Age
42.8
Poverty Rate
13.8%
Labor force participation
54.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
21.6%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3086.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
359.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2726.4
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
50.2°F
Annual Precipitation
36.5"
Annual Snowfall
31.9"
Schools
Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Clinton's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
24,444 residents
2021
24,465 residents
2022
24,353 residents
2023
24,217 residents
2024
24,109 residents
2025
24,049 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
36
housing units authorized
Single-Family
12
detached homes
Multifamily
24
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
41
13
28
$4.8M
2020
28
13
15
$4.4M
2021
49
14
35
$6.8M
2022
8
8
0
$2.7M
2023
25
7
18
$4.3M
2024
36
12
24
$6.5M
Permit volume decreased 12% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
18.6 minutes
Drive Alone
81.1%
Carpool
9.6%
Public Transit
0.7%
Walk
2.1%
Work from Home
3.6%
Other
2.9%
Based on 10,573 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Iowa statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $212
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Iowa at $212 (electricity about $95 , water and sewer about $42 ).
These are Iowa statewide averages, not a meter reading for Clinton. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Iowa's BEA cost-of-living index is 87.8 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Clinton is $989/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Iowa statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 39.7 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Iowa statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Clinton sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Clinton compares to similar-size Iowa cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.