Is Clara City, MN a Good Place to Live?
Clara City is a small town of 1,599 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $58,477 and a 3.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 95 (US average = 100), which is 5% below the national average.
Strengths: Clara City stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Clara City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Clara City city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 94.8Clara City's overall cost of living index is 94.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Clara City costs roughly 5% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Clara City, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $120,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,051 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 70.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $58,477 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Clara City is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Clara City is served primarily by MACCRAY School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.1:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Clara City, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | MACCRAY School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.1:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 15.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 85.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Clara City sees average highs of 24.1°F in January and 85.0°F in July, with 28.6 inches of annual precipitation and 51.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Clara City, MN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 24.1°F |
| Average High — July | 85.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 28.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 51.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Clara City, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,599 | — |
| Median Age | 42.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 17.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 90.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 23.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 22.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Clara City
Clara City, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code: