Tama County, Iowa Housing Market Prices
Tama County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
-
Median home price 44% below the Iowa median$85,999
-
Median rent 10% below the Iowa median$871
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Tama County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $85,999 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 3.0% | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $871 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.6% | 3.9% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Tama County is about 44% lower than in Iowa. Rent is about 10% lower than the Iowa average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Tama County, up about 3.0% and 3.6% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
Median rent in Tama County rose about 29.6% between 2015 and 2024, from $672 to $871. Over the same span, rent in Iowa rose about 39.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.2 yearly household incomes in Tama County.
Buying the median-priced home in Tama County costs roughly 8.2 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Tama County. The price-to-rent ratio in Iowa is about 13.2.
| Metric | Tama County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $85,999 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $70,057 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.2 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Tama County rose about 4.1%, while median household income rose about 43.7% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Tama County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 67.2% | 65.6% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 21.3% | 25.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 11.5% | 8.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2011 | 2011 |
Tama County has a homeownership rate of 67.2%, higher than the Iowa average of 65.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 11.5%, compared with 8.5% in Iowa.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Tama County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.46 people | 2.37 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1958 | 1971 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.1 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Tama County was built around 1958. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 6.1 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Tama County, IA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Tama County, IA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 16,868 residents against a local median of 40,114. Tama County, IA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is median rent, 2% below the local median at $871 against $884. Tama County, IA has the 3rd highest median rent of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tama County, IA | 16,868 | $85,999 #3/4 | $871 #3/4 | 76.0% #2/4 |
| Black Hawk County, IA | 130,985 | $87,001 | $989 | 66.2% |
| Benton County, IA | 25,722 | $45,471 | $826 | 85.0% |
| Marshall County, IA | 40,114 | $122,261 | $884 | 75.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Tama County, Iowa.
What is the median home price in Tama County, Iowa?
The median home price in Tama County, Iowa is $85,999, lower than the Iowa average of $153,425.
What is the average home price in Tama County, Iowa?
The typical home price in Tama County, Iowa, reported as the median sale price, is $85,999. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Tama County, Iowa?
The median gross rent in Tama County, Iowa is $871 per month, lower than the Iowa average of $971.
What was the median gross rent in Tama County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Tama County, Iowa was $728 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Tama County, Iowa?
The price-to-rent ratio in Tama County, Iowa is about 8.2, meaning it would take roughly 8.2 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Tama County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Tama County, Iowa?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Tama County, up about 3.0% and 3.6% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Tama County, Iowa?
67.2% of households in Tama County, Iowa own their home, higher than the Iowa average of 65.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Tama County, Iowa?
The housing vacancy rate in Tama County, Iowa is 11.5%, higher than the Iowa average of 8.5%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →