Is Clarks, NE a Good Place to Live?
Clarks is a small town of 372 in Nebraska, with a median household income of $52,750 and a 5.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 87 (US average = 100), which is 13% below the national average.
Strengths: Clarks stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Clarks is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Clarks 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: 87.3Clarks's overall cost of living index is 87.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Clarks costs roughly 13% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Clarks, NE | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $66,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $875 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 82.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $52,750 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Clarks is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Clarks is served primarily by HIGH PLAINS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS. The student-to-teacher ratio is 7.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Clarks, NE | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | HIGH PLAINS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 7.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 9.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 85.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Clarks sees average highs of 34.8°F in January and 85.5°F in July, with 28.2 inches of annual precipitation and 26.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Clarks, NE |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 34.8°F |
| Average High — July | 85.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 28.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 26.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Clarks, NE | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 372 | — |
| Median Age | 42.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 24.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 89.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 15.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Clarks
Clarks, NE is covered by 1 ZIP code: