Tama County, Iowa
Located in Iowa, Tama County has a population of 16,868 residents and a median age of 41.5 years, making it the #2,045 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.8%. The median home value is $148,600, and the median household income is $70,781, which is 6% below the national median.
Demographics
Tama County has a population of 16,868, making it the #2,045 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Tama County is $70,781, ranking #1,140 out of 3,222 counties — 5.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.8% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Tama County is $148,600 (-47.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $872/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.0%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Tama County, 20.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 39.2% below the national average, ranking #1,909 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Tama County is 76.7 years. 17.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.8% of adults in Tama County smoke , 41.3% are obese , and 22.9% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 20.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.8 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
16.1% of children in Tama County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 21.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Tama County is 72.6%. The mean commute time is 24.9 min, which is 9.8% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Tama County voted Republican with a margin of 26.9%. The vote was 35.7% Dem / 62.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Tama County, Iowa
Tama County, Iowa has a total population of 16,868, making it the 2,045th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Tama County is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Tama County is $70,781, which ranks #1,140 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 5.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.
The median home value in Tama County is $148,600, 47.3% below the national median. Renters in Tama County pay a median gross rent of $872 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Tama County, 20.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 39.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.9 min.
Tama County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 78.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.7%) and American Indian (non-Hispanic) (5.3%).
All data for Tama County, Iowa comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.