Clear Lake is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, home to about 7,607 people across 11 square miles. Its ZIP code is 50428.
Homes sold for a median of $232 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Clear Lake; also Ventura
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Clear Lake. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Clear Lake’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)112 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Mason City Municipal Airport (MCW)3 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | St. Paul, MN126 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL304 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Clear Lake; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Clear Lake had 7,687 residents in the 2020 census, down 6% since 2000.
It’s the 52nd largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Cerro Gordo County grew from 20,672 residents in 1900 to 43,127 in 2020.
Cerro Gordo County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 7°F. About 36.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 44 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Mason City Muni Ap, IA weather station (3 miles away).
20,024 jobs at 1,357 businesses in Cerro Gordo County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
66 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Clear Lake.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 16 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 11 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 13 |
| Mental health providers | 5 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 14 |
| Chiropractors | 7 |
| Pharmacies | 5 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (16 nearby)
Grocery stores
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Clear Lake Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clear Creek Elementary SchoolClear Lake | Pre-K–5 | 685 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Clear Lake Middle SchoolClear Lake | 6–8 | 308 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Clear Lake High SchoolClear Lake | 9–12 | 461 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clear Lake ClassicalClear Lake | Pre-K–12 | 135 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 0.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Ventura.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.