Jobs, pay and daily life in Spencer, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Spencer is a city in Iowa with 11,400 residents. The median household earns $59,667 a year and the median rent is $805 a month, which is 16.2% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Spencer compares. Among the 60 largest places in Iowa, Spencer is #36 by population, #8 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #49 for household income (#1 = highest), #46 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Clay County, is #37 of 99 counties for average pay ($53,504).
Spencer has 11,400 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Iowa. It covers 11 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,041 people per square mile. The median age is 41.4, 7% older than the state median (41.4 against 38.6).
The median gross rent is $805 a month (rent plus utilities), 17% below the state median ($805 against $972). Over a year that is 16.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $184,800, which is 3.1 times the median household income ($59,667); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 68.1% of households own their home, 5% below the state average (68.1% against 71.7%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Clay County was 2.7%. 65.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Clay County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 82.2% drive alone, 1.1% use public transit, 3.1% walk, 5.8% work from home. 8.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, about the same as the state average (8.2% against 8.2%).
29.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 5% below the state share (29.8% against 31.4%). 3.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 45% below the state share (3.3% against 5.9%). The poverty rate is 14.0%, 27% above the state rate (14.0% against 11.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 75°F (24.0°C), and the coolest is Jan at 18°F (-7.9°C). About 808 mm (32 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (122 mm) and Jan the driest (18 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Storm Lake (35 miles, rent 12% higher); Sioux Center (52 miles); Le Mars (57 miles, rent 15% higher); Fort Dodge (66 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Spencer; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Iowa (226) →State guide: IowaCountry guideClay CountyIowa rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 226 federal postings open in Iowa (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 29.9% |
| Retail trade | 13.9% |
| Manufacturing | 11.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.2% |
| Construction | 5.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.8% |
| Other services | 3.0% |
| Public administration | 2.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.1% |
| Information | 1.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Spencer lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 16,461 | $1,540 million | $93,550 | 8,534 | 742 | $53,504 | -1.1% | 2.7% | 8,775 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,344 | 26.1% | $35,353 | 1.58 |
| Manufacturing | 657 | 12.7% | $60,110 | 0.94 |
| Wholesale trade | 641 | 12.4% | $72,128 | 1.91 |
| Accommodation and food services | 537 | 10.4% | $22,470 | 0.69 |
| Construction | 477 | 9.2% | $59,725 | 1.06 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 360 | 7.0% | $59,183 | 1.00 |
| Administrative and waste services | 342 | 6.6% | $29,520 | 0.68 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 196 | 3.8% | $38,902 | 0.76 |
| Finance and insurance | 172 | 3.3% | $73,277 | 0.50 |
| Information | 126 | 2.4% | $51,252 | 0.79 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 112 | 2.2% | $21,855 | 0.78 |
| Real estate and rental | 102 | 2.0% | $55,631 | 0.77 |
| Utilities | 92 | 1.8% | $95,596 | 2.84 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 82.2% |
| Public transit | 1.1% |
| Walk | 3.1% |
| Work from home | 5.8% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 8.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,667 |
| Income per person | $37,510 |
| Median gross rent per month | $805 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.2% |
| Median home value | $184,800 |
| Homeowners | 68.1% |
| Poverty rate | 14.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.80%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 41.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 92.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 29.8% |
| Born abroad | 3.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 65.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -7.9 | 18 | 18 |
| Feb | -6.2 | 21 | 24 |
| Mar | 1.4 | 35 | 44 |
| Apr | 8.6 | 47 | 83 |
| May | 15.1 | 59 | 108 |
| Jun | 21.2 | 70 | 122 |
| Jul | 24.0 | 75 | 89 |
| Aug | 22.3 | 72 | 101 |
| Sep | 17.9 | 64 | 91 |
| Oct | 9.2 | 49 | 63 |
| Nov | 1.9 | 35 | 34 |
| Dec | -5.0 | 23 | 31 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storm Lake | IA | 35 mi | 11,428 | $62,765 | $898 |
| Sioux Center | IA | 52 mi | 8,454 | $92,983 | n/a |
| Le Mars | IA | 57 mi | 10,640 | $74,701 | $929 |
| Fort Dodge | IA | 66 mi | 24,827 | $60,649 | $785 |
| Canton | SD | 73 mi | 3,033 | $60,850 | $673 |
| Carroll | IA | 76 mi | 10,208 | $69,706 | $722 |
| Sioux City | IA | 77 mi | 86,101 | $68,906 | $976 |
| Brandon | SD | 78 mi | 10,996 | $110,806 | $976 |
| Denison | IA | 79 mi | 8,260 | $65,684 | $731 |
| South Sioux City | NE | 80 mi | 13,907 | $68,223 | $1,127 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
11,400 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$805 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.2% of the median household income.
$59,667 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.7% (BLS county, Clay County (latest month 2026M09)).
Iowa. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.