Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Clear Lake grades B+ overall, ranked 66th of 140 in Iowa, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools rank ahead of 83% of Iowa towns and 21% of its land is conserved. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $79K. Its lowest everyday mark is in safety: its crime rate is higher than 67% of U.S. towns, with 10 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. A typical home there costs about $340K, 4.9 years of the Mason City area’s $69K median household income. 21% of the land in Clear Lake is conserved, above both Iowa’s towns (3.1%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Clear Lake's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 99% of U.S. towns. Clear Lake has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Surf Ballroom and Elks-Rogers Hotel.
Where Clear Lake beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Creek Elementary School | PK–5 | 685 |
| Clear Lake Middle School | 6–8 | 308 |
| Clear Lake High School | 9–12 | 461 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Clear Lake is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Surf Ballroom is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 775 in 1870, 7,687 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1904 and a map from 1985 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clear Lake, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Clear Lake.
Clear Lake is a second-home town, trades workers with Mason City and other neighbors and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
Its public schools are run by the Clear Lake Community School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Clear Lake High School, with 461 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear Creek Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 685 | B− |
| Clear Lake High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 461 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
At $808 a month, Clear Lake’s median rent is where Iowa’s towns sit at $913 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. Typical home values rose 4.6% in the year to September 2026.
| Clear Lake | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $808 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The biggest park or preserve is Clear Lake Wildlife Management Area, at 1,623 acres. 2.5 miles of trail in 16 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Outlet Recreation Complex | 0.7 mi | 39 |
| 2. Clear Lake Wildlife Management Area | — | 1,623 |
| 3. Clear Lake Rearing Ponds Wildlife Management Area | — | 37 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
18.8% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 1.6% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
28% of Clear Lake residents are 65 or older. Only 3 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a higher median age than Clear Lake. 17% of Clear Lake residents are under 18.
| Clear Lake | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.1 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 28% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 17% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 25% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.7 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Clear Lake | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.4% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.9% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.6% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.1% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.3% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.2% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.1% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.6% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.5% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.3% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.8% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.7% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Reported crimes fell from 179 to 110 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Clear Lake reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 67% report less. Clear Lake’s property crime rate is 13.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Clear Lake | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.2 per 1,000 residents | 7.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Clear Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Clear Lake is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Clear Lake has about as many jobs (3,560) as working residents, but only 874 people both live and work here.
About one in 4 of Clear Lake’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Clear Lake grew to 3,560 in 2023, 207 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Mason City (27%), Garner (4%) and Forest City (3%).
| Clear Lake | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 26% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.3% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 10% | 8.5% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Clear Lake beats the Iowa average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Clear Lake. Only 9 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Clear Lake.
| Clear Lake | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| What stands out | Clear Lake | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.4% | 9.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.5% | 12% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clear Lake.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Clear Lake
About 2 of every 100 Clear Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
5 places in Clear Lake on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Clear Lake.
City in Iowa, United States
Clear Lake is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,687 at the 2020 census. The city is named for the large natural lake on which it is located. Clear Lake is known for its rock and roll heritage, water sports, nearby state parks, and as a sailing destination. Clear Lake is located on Interstate 35 and serves as a regional hub with nearby Mason City for north-central Iowa. The city is included in the Mason City, IA Micropolitan Area along with all of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Clear Lake grades B+ overall, better than 68% of U.S. towns and #66 of 140 in Iowa. It grades B for health, C for safety and A− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
6 notable people were born here, including Robert Allan Phillips and Trevor Penning.
