Tama County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Tama County, Iowa had an estimated 16,738 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,096, across 721 square miles. County output reached $847.9 m in 2024, 282 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 8 7(a) approvals worth $3.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Tama County
How many people live in Tama County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,868
- Households6,720
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$70,781
- Median age41.5
- Median gross rent$872 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$148,600
- Home value to household income2.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,553
- Population under 184,003
- Share under 1823.7 percent
- Population 65 and over3,537
- Share 65 and over21.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,328
- Civilian labor force8,275
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.3 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties43rd of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2045th of 3,222
Tama County is the 43rd largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.1 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.7 percent against 21.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Tama County
Is Tama County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202416,738
- Census 2020 base population17,096
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.09 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-49
- Births, 2024190
- Deaths, 2024214
- Natural change, 2024-24
- Net domestic migration, 2024-67
- Net international migration, 202443
- Total net migration, 2024-24
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-327
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2519th of 3,144
The county has lost 2.09 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Tama County
Where are people moving to Tama County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving399
- People arriving, from those returns697
- Tax returns filed by households leaving438
- Net household movement-39
- Adjusted gross income arriving$19.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-2.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$48,810
- Average income of a leaving household$49,610
- Largest single originMarshall County (63 households)
- Largest single destinationMarshall County (91 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall County | 63 | 119 | $2.9 m |
| Black Hawk County | 52 | 93 | $2.4 m |
| Linn County | 36 | 55 | $1.8 m |
| Benton County | 24 | 48 | $993,000 |
Households arriving report $800 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Marshall County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Tama County
What is the Tama County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$847.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$879.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-3.6 percent
- GDP change over five years23.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Iowa areas BEA publishes60th of 99
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1987th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$50,264
Output grew -3.6 percent in the latest year and 23.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Tama County
Employment by industry in Tama County
- Covered employment, annual average5,356
- Establishments reporting440
- Average annual pay$48,774
- Average weekly wage$938
- Manufacturing, employment1,003
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$60,450
- Retail trade, employment547
- Retail trade, average annual pay$27,443
- Wholesale trade, employment278
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$64,495
- Accommodation and food services, employment194
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,554
- Construction, employment133
- Finance and insurance, employment128
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,003 | 15 | $60,450 |
| Retail trade | 547 | 50 | $27,443 |
| Wholesale trade | 278 | 38 | $64,495 |
| Accommodation and food services | 194 | 24 | $18,554 |
| Construction | 133 | 32 | $63,024 |
| Finance and insurance | 128 | 26 | $71,249 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 118 | 22 | $56,883 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 112 | 16 | $56,650 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,003 jobs, 18.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Tama County
How many businesses are in Tama County?
- Establishments, all industries282
- Employment at those establishments3,565
- Annual payroll$161.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Tama County
Building permits in Tama County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202412
- Declared construction value permitted$8.1 m
- Single family units authorized12
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$671,639
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.8
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Tama County
SBA loans in Tama County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded8
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$410,450
- Median 7(a) approval$189,300
- Largest single approval$1,500,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)159
- Jobs per approval19.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer37.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$325,000
- Average 504 approval$81,250
- Median 504 approval$81,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved49.2
- Most active CDCBlack Hawk Economic Development, Inc. (4)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$3.6 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Tama County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Tama County
Do SBA loans in Tama County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Paid in full2
Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Tama County
SBA lending by place in Tama County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending5
- Toledo, approvals2
- Traer, approvals2
- Gladbrook, approvals2
- Chelsea, approvals1
- Tama, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Toledo | 2 | $2,481,000 |
| Traer | 2 | $424,600 |
| Gladbrook | 2 | $245,000 |
| Chelsea | 1 | $78,000 |
| Tama | 1 | $55,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Tama County
How large is Tama County?
- Land area721 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties9th of 99
- Width, east to west24.1 mi
- Height, north to south30 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land23
- Establishments per square mile0.39
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Tama County
Flood risk in Tama County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Tama County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 190908
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book14
- Of those, participating in the NFIP13
- NFIP participation rate92.9 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Tama County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Tama County (community 190908), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Tama County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 92.9 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Tama County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Tama County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,868
- Households6,720
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$70,781
- Median age41.5
Common questions
Tama County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Tama County, Iowa?
The Census Bureau estimates 16,738 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 16,868, in 6,720 households, ranking 43rd of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Tama County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.09 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,096, to 16,738 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 190 births against 214 deaths, with net migration of -24. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Tama County?
$70,781. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $148,600, which is 2.1 times income, and median gross rent is $872 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Tama County?
282 establishments, employing 3,565 people with an annual payroll of $161.2 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Tama County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,003 jobs, 18.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 5,356 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,774, or $938 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Tama County?
8 7(a) approvals totaling $3.3 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $189,300, plus 4 504 approvals worth $325,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Tama County?
12 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $8.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Tama County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Tama County come from?
The largest single origin is Marshall County, with 63 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,810 against $49,610 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Tama County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Tama County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Tama County
Cities and places in Tama.
13 Census places lie wholly or partly in Tama County. All 13 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tama | city | 3,051 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Toledo | city | 1,966 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Dysart | city | 1,519 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Traer | city | 1,519 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Gladbrook | city | 992 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Le Grand | city | 720 | None recorded | 5.4 percent here, 94.6 percent Marshall County |
| Garwin | city | 571 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clutier | city | 426 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Chelsea | city | 404 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Montour | city | 206 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elberon | city | 143 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lincoln | city | 113 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Vining | city | 68 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby