City · Iowa
Murray, Iowa
Murray, city, in Clarke County, Iowa. Murray had 600 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 12.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 684 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 614 (±142). GEOID 1955065.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
600
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 684 · ACS 2020-2024: 614 ±142
Median household income
$65,500
±$20,450 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$80,800
±$26,491 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$831
±$86 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Murray and what county is it in?
Murray is a city in Clarke County, Iowa. It covers 0.8 square miles of land, 855 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Murray, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 600 people lived in Murray on July 1, 2025, down 12.4% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 684 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 614 (±142).
| Measure | Murray | Clarke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 614 ±142 | 9,662 | no clear change |
| Households | 218 ±52 | 4,071 | −88 |
| Average household size | 2.82 ±0.53 | 2.34 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 250 ±61 | 4,522 | −105 |
Murray's population since 2000
From 766 in 2000 to 600 in 2025: down 21.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Murray as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Murray?
The median resident of Murray is 31.5 years old; 30.8% are under 18 and 13.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 84.7%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 6.2%.
| Measure | Murray | Clarke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.5 ±7.3 | 37.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 30.8% ±6.6 pts | 25.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.7% ±4.5 pts | 19.9% | – |
| Male | 52.3% ±5.4 pts | 51.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.7% ±5.0 pts | 16.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 84.7% ±9.0 pts | 77.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.1% ±2.6 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.2% ±4.6 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 3.3% ±4.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 7.3% ±6.2 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 9.5% ±6.2 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.4% ±3.1 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 11.2% ±4.8 pts | 17.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.1% ±2.9 pts | 4.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.8% ±2.6 pts | 89.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.9% ±7.6 pts | 16.0% | +12.1 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.9% ±7.2 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.7% ±3.0 pts | 88.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.2% ±1.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Murray earn?
Half of Murray's 218 households earn less than $65,500 a year (±$20,450), against $71,641 in Clarke County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $57,339 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Murray | Clarke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,500 ±$20,450 | $71,641 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $100,954 ±$36,869 | $95,019 | – |
| Per capita income | $39,133 ±$14,094 | $37,883 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 8.0% ±3.9 pts | 9.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 7.6% ±6.2 pts | 16.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.3% ±4.8 pts | 11.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.1% ±4.8 pts | 92.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.8% ±7.2 pts | 86.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Murray?
Owners occupy 83.9% of Murray's occupied homes and renters 16.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $80,800 by its owner (±$26,491). The median renter pays $831 a month including utilities, and 52.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Murray | Clarke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $80,800 ±$26,491 | $161,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $831 ±$86 | $931 | −$206 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 52.4% ±24.1 pts | 29.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,266 ±$283 | $1,416 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 83.9% ±9.1 pts | 72.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 16.1% ±9.1 pts | 27.7% | – |
| Housing units | 250 ±61 | 4,522 | −105 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 5.2% ±7.1 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±44.0 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 76.8% ±8.4 pts | 70.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 21.2% ±8.1 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.4% ±1.4 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.6% ±4.9 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 39.2% ±11.6 pts | 20.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.5% ±1.2 pts | 12.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Murray building?
Builders took permits for 5 new housing units in Murray in 2025 (3 in single-family houses), 8.3 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Murray work and get to work?
72.4% of Murray's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 28.1 minutes.
| Measure | Murray | Clarke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 73.9% ±6.6 pts | 64.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.8% ±2.3 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.4% ±8.5 pts | 80.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 22.1% ±8.9 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 2.5% ±4.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.5% ±2.5 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.1 min ±5.1 | 24.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Murray?
No census tract lies mostly in Murray; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9603Clarke County | 2,163 | $81,094 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Murray) · Census block assignment files
How does Murray compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Murray is the 12,470th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 407th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Murray is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 407th | 939 |
Murray's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Murray with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Murray?
21 of the 57 figures for Murray on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Murray are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Murray.