Hot-summer humid continental
Spencer, Iowa
Clay County, Iowa · Population 11k · 1,319 ft elevation
Living in Spencer
Spencer has a hot-summer humid continental climate: hot summers (July highs around 84°F) and bitterly cold winters (January lows around 7°F).
Precipitation is moderate at about 31″ a year, and it gets a fair bit of snow (43″ a season).
Skies are sunny (62% of possible sunshine). Muggy weather is occasional (20 days a year).
Air quality is moderate: a median AQI of 40, with about 9 unhealthy-air days in the latest year.
Spencer at a glance
- Population
- 11k
- Elevation
- 1,319 ft
- Average daily high
- 57°F7th percentile
- Average daily low
- 36°F7th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 31″20th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 43″83th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 2,782 hrs47th percentile
- Median AQI
- 4038th percentile
- Median home value
- $178k27th percentile
- Median rent
- $795/mo13th percentile
- Median household income
- $57k25th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 1.37%68th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 3.8%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 6.9%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.1%
- Homes with broadband
- 88%32th percentile
- Walkability index
- 7.837th percentile
- Average commute
- 17 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 87%97th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 82%
- Violent crime rate
- 96 per 100k30th percentile
- Property crime rate
- 874 per 100k
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 366th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 2323th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 1%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 2%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 295 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25°F | 7°F | 0.7″ | 9.8″ | 172 hrs |
| Feb | 30°F | 11°F | 0.8″ | 8.9″ | 195 hrs |
| Mar | 43°F | 24°F | 1.7″ | 5.9″ | 215 hrs |
| Apr | 58°F | 35°F | 3.5″ | 3.0″ | 224 hrs |
| May | 70°F | 47°F | 4.2″ | 0.1″ | 257 hrs |
| Jun | 80°F | 58°F | 4.6″ | — | 294 hrs |
| Jul | 84°F | 62°F | 3.7″ | — | 351 hrs |
| Aug | 81°F | 59°F | 3.8″ | — | 308 hrs |
| Sep | 75°F | 50°F | 3.3″ | — | 256 hrs |
| Oct | 60°F | 37°F | 2.4″ | 0.7″ | 201 hrs |
| Nov | 44°F | 24°F | 1.4″ | 5.3″ | 167 hrs |
| Dec | 30°F | 13°F | 1.0″ | 9.6″ | 143 hrs |
Near Spencer
- Milford, IA · 3.3k
- Spirit Lake, IA · 5.5k
- Estherville, IA · 5.9k
- Emmetsburg, IA · 3.7k
- Cherokee, IA · 5.2k
- Sibley, IA · 2.8k
- Sheldon, IA · 5.4k
- Storm Lake, IA · 11k
Largest places in Iowa
- Des Moines, IA · 212k
- Cedar Rapids, IA · 137k
- Davenport, IA · 101k
- Sioux City, IA · 86k
- Iowa City, IA · 75k
- Ankeny, IA · 71k
- West Des Moines, IA · 70k
- Waterloo, IA · 67k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology