Tama County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Tama County, IA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 92% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Tama County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,868 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 23.4 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.40% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.8 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,720 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Tama County declined by 4.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,868 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Tama County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.2% of residents. That is 1.3 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,153 18.7% -3.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,091 18.3% -2.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,402 20.2% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,385 20.1% +2.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Iowa, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.1% of the people living in Tama County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 49.9% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Tama County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Tama County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Tama County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,057 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.18% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Tama County is about 7% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Tama County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $85,999 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $871 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.0% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Tama County is about 8.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $871 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Tama County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Tama County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.6 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.1 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,309 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,821 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 377 | 606 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Iowa:
Sioux County (10.1 min), Union County (10.4 min), Cass County (10.6 min).
Slowest:
Monroe County (30.4 min), Madison County (30.1 min), Mills County (26.7 min).
The average commute time in Tama County is 21 minutes, longer than the 17 minutes in Iowa.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Tama County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Tama County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.0% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.46 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.4), Dallas County (0.4), Story County (0.4).
Lowest:
Crawford County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Louisa County (0.2).
Health
Tama County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Tama County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.7 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.3% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.7% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.8), Story County (0.8), Winneshiek County (0.8).
Lowest:
Davis County (0.8), Wayne County (0.8), Appanoose County (0.8).
Tama County, IA 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. Where Tama County, IA breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 47% above the local median of 13.9 min at 20.6 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 10.5 min on commute, so Tama County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Tama County, IA has the 3rd lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tama County, IA | 16,868 | $70,057 #3/4 | $85,999 #3/4 | 20.6 min #3/4 |
| Black Hawk County, IA | 130,985 | $66,338 | $87,001 | 13.9 min |
| Benton County, IA | 25,722 | $87,152 | $45,471 | 23.7 min |
| Marshall County, IA | 40,114 | $73,385 | $122,261 | 13.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Tama County, Iowa.
How big is Tama County, Iowa by population?
About 16,868 people live in Tama County, Iowa, in 6,720 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Tama County, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Tama County, Iowa has 23 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 27% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Tama County, Iowa?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($85,999 against $70,057), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $871 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Tama County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Tama County, Iowa is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Tama County, Iowa?
17.0% of adults in Tama County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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