Clarion’s school system and laid-back lifestyle attract buyers
A quiet atmosphere and a respected school system draw buyers to Clarion, an agricultural community of about 3,000 people in the heart of Wright County. The iconic four-leaf clover emblem of the 4-H Clubs of America originated in Clarion in 1907, and today the community’s agricultural heritage is on display at the Heartland Museum. “We’re a farm-based economy here in Clarion, so basically everything caters to farms," says Rodney Brooks, a Clarion native, resident, and co-owner and broker of North Iowa Real Estate. "When the farms are doing well, Clarion is doing well.” The community’s laid-back lifestyle is complemented by plentiful parks, including a new $10 million recreation center that’s in the works. “It’s a small town, so it takes a lot to get stuff like that built here, but we’re pretty progressive,” Brooks says.
Easy access to Clarion-Goldfield-Dows School District
Kids may attend Clarion-Goldfield-Dows School District, which receives a B-minus rating from Niche. The district serves about 1,000 students from Clarion and surrounding rural communities, and having the schools in town is a major draw for residents, Brooks says. High schoolers enrolled in the Iowa Central Regional Career Academy in Eagle Grove can earn college credit while still in high school. Students commit to a year-long career pathway and attend classes at the career center five days a week throughout the school year.
Clarion homes range from early 20th century styles to new builds
Buyers can find styles from the early 1900s — including cottage, American Foursquare, Victorian and National-style — as well as midcentury ranch-style and split-level houses. Some new construction by the high school has also started to draw buyers. “We do see some renovations of the Victorian houses in town, but realistically, if it’s not a new house, a lot of homes require updating,” Brooks says. Fixer-uppers can cost between $20,000 and $75,000, but most homes cost between $100,000 and $300,000 depending on age, size and condition. Brooks adds that Clarion also has a strong rental market. “A lot of people are buying the lower-cost houses and making them available to rent, which is another reason people come to Clarion, but it’s really filled up recently,” he says.
Parks in town and lake recreation nearby
Five parks provide space to play and gather. Aquatic Center Park is the largest and the main hub of activity in town. The aquatic center features a lap pool and water slides, which draw visitors to Clarion. The adjoining park has pickleball courts, picnic tables and a playground. The parks department also hosts athletic programs for Clarion kids. “We’re close to Lake Cornelia for boating and recreation, and that’s next to Clarmond Country Club which has a really nice restaurant with sit-down dining,” Brook says. “We’re in proximity to about three or four lakes so there’s kayaking and canoeing.”
Coal-fired pizza and craft beer are popular in Clarion
The Wright County Courthouse anchors downtown Clarion’s small but robust collection of restaurants and boutiques. “We have a couple of local favorites, and one of them is Fuel,” Brooks says. “They’re a coal-fired pizza place, and they’re pretty well known around the north Iowa area for having car shows, bike shows and special events. It’s a hot spot. We also have a brewery in town called The Brü. They’re pretty well-known as far as the local beers that they create.” Brothers Market has groceries covered, while Clarion Locker offers custom meat processing, award-winning bratwurst and specialty goods such as boerewors, a South African-style sausage that pays homage to the owners’ roots. Shops like The Branded Bombshell and Italics Boutique offer retail options in town, but Fort Dodge has more variety.
Less than an hour from Fort Dodge
Route 3 runs through the heart of town, and the community is about 20 miles from Interstate 35. Fort Dodge is roughly 40 miles away, while Des Moines and its international airport are about 100 miles away. Iowa Specialty Hospital is in town, providing emergency and specialty care. “They’re probably one of the premier hospitals in the state as far as knee replacements and orthopedics,” Brooks says. “People come from all over the state to Clarion to get those surgeries done.”
Several active rail lines in town can cause occasional delays. Mild to moderate flooding in Clarion is a possibility, and streets and basements have flooded in the past. However, Brooks says significant flooding is rare.
Locals come together for Festival in the Park
“We have Festival in the Park every June, which is a large-scale community festival with food trucks and local singers at Gazebo Park,” Brooks says. Locals also look forward to the festival’s parade and pancake breakfast. Now in its third year, the Festival Cultural de Clarion celebrates the region’s diversity with music, food, folk dancing and kids activities.
Faith is essential to daily life for many residents, and there are multiple denominations of churches in town, such as Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, First Lutheran Church, St. John’s Catholic Church and Iglesia Pentecostes Peniel.
Written By
Leslie Klosterman
