MNMap-doton-Clara City, 2005
Clara City’s story
139 years in pictures
Census counts: 465 in 1900, 1,423 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
- 1887Clara City is founded
Clara CityMN
A town of 1,397, founded in 1887.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Heritage Preservation Department - MNHS · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,397
2025 Census estimate · −2.9% since 2020
Typical home
$256K
+7.5% in a year
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
36.9
years
Jobs based here
503
Balanced
Is Clara City a good place to live?
The best of Clara City’s subject grades are a B+ for cost of living and a B for schools; the weakest is a C− for hazard risk. On health, just 40 of Minnesota’s 572 towns do worse. Clara City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 83% of U.S. towns. Clara City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
WeakestC−Hazard risk
What makes Clara City stand out
Where Clara City beats most towns.
Small town
1,397 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Stoneham TownshipRheiderland TownshipClara City
How Clara City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Clara City is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →Jobs & income$64K median household incomeCOpen →HealthAvera Granite Falls 13.4 miles awayC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.8 of 20; 2% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →History2 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life2.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.9; 16% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Clara City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clara City, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy17.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterClara City water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Clara City’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereChippewa County CourthouseChippewa County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code5622256222 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Clara City.
SchoolsB
Clara City’s schools rank ahead of 61% of Minnesota districts
The largest public high school is MACCRAY Secondary, with 402 students. The MACCRAY School District runs its public schools. Its two schools are below.
61%of MN districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| MACCRAY ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 320 | – |
| MACCRAY SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 402 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Clara City, with inland flooding at the top
Federal aid has come to Clara City households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2019. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 73% of U.S. communities. Flood insurance has paid out on 2 claims here since 1997. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 56% come from inland flooding and 15% from cold waves.
73risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 1997
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B+
Zillow puts the typical Clara City home at about $256K
Clara City: 66% of households live in a home they own, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 75% and U.S. towns at 73%. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 7.5% in value. In Clara City, the rent at the middle of the market is $1,068 a month.
$256KZillow home value
| Clara City | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 66% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,068 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Clara City$256K
Minnesota$349K
+7.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Clara City
In July, afternoons reach 83°; in January, nights fall to 4°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a winter.
46″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–25°
Spring34–55°
Summer59–81°
Fall37–57°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Health in Clara City trails 63% of U.S. towns
Against the Minnesota average, Clara City comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 10. In Clara City, 30% of adults get no exercise outside work. Clara City: 13% of adults have diabetes, above both the Minnesota town median (10%) and the median of U.S. towns (12%).
37%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Clara City | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better21 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Clara City | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.8% | 76.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.1% | 8.9% |
Avera Granite Falls
13.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Most of Clara City’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.8 jobs for each of them
The top destinations are Willmar (20%), Montevideo (6%) and Stoneham Township (3%). In Clara City, about one in five working residents works in town. Also worth knowing: its average commute comes in at 15 minutes. It had 503 jobs in 2023, down 83 from 2013.
22%work in town
| Clara City | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Clara City22%
Willmar20%
Montevideo6%
Stoneham Township3%
Prinsburg3%
19 mi
median commute distance
503
jobs based in Clara City
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 44% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Clara City
18pages on Clara City
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Clara City
About 3 of every 100 Clara City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
About Clara City
City in Minnesota, United States
Clara City is a city in Chippewa County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,423 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,056 ft
- ZIP code
- 56222
- Area code
- 320
Questions about Clara City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
What is Clara City, MN known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Seth Hinrichs and Clarence L. Gunter.