Total enrollment
2,147
-100 (-4%) vs SY 2020-21
Clay County
Iowa · Public K-12
Inside Clay County, Iowa, public K-12 schools number 6 and serve about 2,147 students out of a population of 16,461. By grade band, the county runs 4 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high schools.
4-year change in Clay County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
6
0 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Clay County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In Iowa | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 76.6% | #27 of 89 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 2,147 | #60 of 90 | #2,161 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 6 | #70 of 90 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.8:1 | #81 of 90 | #1,692 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 50.7% | #17 of 90 | #1,582 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 28.7% | #40 of 89 | #1,848 of 2,707 |
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Residents
16,461
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
6
2 districts
Enrollment
2,147
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$65,428
Below Iowa avg
Free/reduced lunch
50.7%
Above Iowa avg
Elementary
4
945 students
Middle
1
514 students
High
1
688 students
Combined / other
0
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Spencer Comm School District
2,094 students · 2 districts in Clay County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Clay County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
27.5%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.6%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.5%
civilian labor
Median age
42
23.3% under 18
Test scores in Clay County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 3 schools ranked. Iowa state average: 73.7%.
Top 3 schools (ELA)
- Spencer High School· 84.4%
- Spencer Middle School· 80.7%
- Lincoln Elementary School· 73.1%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer High School | Spencer | High | 09-12 | 688 | · |
| Spencer Middle School | Spencer | Middle | 06-08 | 514 | · |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Spencer | Elementary | 03-05 | 442 | · |
| Fairview Park Elementary | Spencer | Elementary | 01-02 | 249 | · |
| Johnson Elementary | Spencer | Elementary | PK-KG | 201 | · |
| Clay Central-Everly Elementary | Royal | Elementary | PK-06 | 53 | · |
Cities in Clay County
About Clay County
Clay County is a compact Iowa county of about 16,461 residents, home to 6 public schools and roughly 2,147 students.
In context, census numbers show the median household earns about $65,428 a year, about 28% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the federal-poverty share is near 7%. That income level is 9% meaningfully below the Iowa median.
For a sense of the school types, Clay County comprises 4 elementary schools (945 students), 1 middle school (514), and 1 high school (688).
The largest single district in Clay County is Spencer Comm School District, which alone enrolls about 2,094 students.
Five-year track record. Total public-school enrollment in Clay County has shrank 4% since SY 2020-21, moving from about 2,247 students to 2,147.
On this page, the community for Clay County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data