Groundwork

Clothing and laundry · County · Iowa

Clothing and shoe stores in Clay County, IA

Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for clothing and shoe stores in Clay County, IA, set against other counties and the U.S.

Groundwork market score · out of 100

Score 23 out of 100: Low

Ranked #1,890 of 2,087 scored counties
#64 of 66 scored counties in Iowa

Listings
18
7 chain locations (39%)
Official establishments
8
Businesses with payroll, 2023
Household spending a year
$13.3M
On clothing, shoes and related services · $1,833 a household
Spending per listing
$742K
42% below the U.S.
Listings per 10k households
24.7
52% above the U.S.
Population, 2025
16,202
−0.8% since 2020

See the clothing and shoe stores around any address in Clay County

The site report maps the clothing and shoe stores on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Clay County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

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Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

For clothing and shoe stores, Clay County has a Groundwork market score of 23 (low): #1,890 of 2,087 scored counties and #64 of 66 scored counties in Iowa. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.

As of September 2026, map listings count 18 clothing and shoe stores in Clay County. Of those, 7 are chain locations, or 39%, against 44% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 24.7, 52% above the U.S. rate of 16.2.

At $1,833 per household (11% below the U.S. average), households in Clay County spend about $13.3M a year on clothing, shoes and related services. That is about $742K of household spending for each store on map listings, 42% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. That spending covers all clothing, shoes and related services, which clothing and shoe stores share with other businesses in the trade.

Official counts show 8 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in Clay County in 2023. That is one for every 910 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. Population estimates put the population change in Clay County from 2020 to 2025 at −0.8%, against +3.1% for the U.S.

How Clay County compares

The same measures for Iowa and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all clothing, shoes and related services by the clothing and shoe stores counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.

Clothing and shoe stores in Clay County, IA compared with Iowa and the U.S.
MeasureClay CountyIowaU.S.
Listings per 10k households24.715.616.2
Spending per listing$742K$1.3M$1.3M
Households per official establishment9101,4991,273
Official establishment growth, 2019–2023n/a−14.3%−12.2%
Population growth, 2020–2025−0.8%+1.5%+3.1%
Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services$1,833$1,967$2,055
Median household income$65,428$75,059$80,734
Groundwork market score2348

Official counts and lending

Businesses

Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
9 → 8
Employees, 2023
33
Annual payroll, 2023
$754K
One-person businesses, 2023
9Businesses with no payroll
Map listings, September 2026
187 chain locations
Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
11The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here

SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022

Loans
0
Amount
$0

SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Clay County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.

Population and households in Clay County

Population, 2025 estimate
16,202−0.8% since 2020
Households
7,282
Median age
43.1
Homes lived in by their owners
73%
Vehicles per household
1.9
Land area
567 sq. mi.
People per square mile
29
Median household income
$65,428+29.5% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
Average household income
$83,614
Median home value
$178,600
Jobs located here
8,325
Daytime population
16,701Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here

Looking at a specific site in Clay County?

These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the clothing and shoe stores on map listings by name and distance.

Or open the report at the center of Clay County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

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Clothing and shoe stores across Iowa

Every Iowa market ranked →

The highest-scoring counties in Iowa for clothing and shoe stores, numbered among those based in Iowa, with Clay County marked.

Top counties in Iowa

Counties in Iowa ranked for clothing and shoe stores by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Warren County, IA91146.8$3.2M+9.0%#23 of 2,087
2Benton County, IA7787.8$2.6M+1.8%#194 of 2,087
3Bremer County, IA7577.2$2.8M+1.1%#233 of 2,087
4Jasper County, IA75117.3$2.6M+0.9%#236 of 2,087
5Buchanan County, IA7356.1$3.1M+1.3%#276 of 2,087
6Boone County, IA71109.1$2.2M+0.4%#350 of 2,087
7Marshall County, IA70117.1$2.6M−0.5%#371 of 2,087
8Jones County, IA7078.5$2.2M+2.9%#378 of 2,087
9Cedar County, IA6856.6$3M−0.7%#421 of 2,087
10Jackson County, IA6756.1$3.1M−0.8%#449 of 2,087
64Clay County, IA231824.7$742K−0.8%#1,890 of 2,087

Other business types in Clay County

Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.

Questions

How many clothing and shoe stores are in Clay County, IA?

Clay County has 18 clothing and shoe stores on map listings as of September 2026. 7 of them (39%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and accessory stores and boutiques. Official counts show 8 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in 2023. Official counts also show 9 one-person businesses without payroll.

How much do households in Clay County, IA spend on clothing, shoes and related services?

About $13.3M a year, or $1,833 per household. That is 11% below the U.S. average (an index of 89, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 18 clothing and shoe stores on map listings, it comes to $742K per store. The spending figure covers all clothing, shoes and related services, not only clothing and shoe stores. It is estimated from the incomes of the 7,282 households in Clay County and national spending patterns by income.

How does Clay County, IA compare with the U.S. for clothing and shoe stores?

Clay County has 24.7 clothing and shoe stores per 10,000 households, 52% above the U.S. rate of 16.2. Spending per store is $742K, 42% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. At the national ratio of clothing and shoe stores to household spending, Clay County would have about 11, against 18 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 910 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S.

How fast is Clay County, IA growing?

Population estimates put Clay County at 16,202 people in 2025, down 0.8% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 7,282 households. The median household income in Clay County is $65,428 a year, 19% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 29.5% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.

What is the Groundwork market score?

The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Clay County scores 23 for clothing and shoe stores (low), #1,890 of 2,087 scored counties.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Clay County. It maps the clothing and shoe stores on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.

How the score works · Top markets for clothing and shoe stores · All 56 business types in Clay County

Screening a site or an acquisition in Clay County?

A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.

The button opens the report at the center of Clay County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.