Tama County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Tama County, Iowa has a population of 16,868 across 721 square miles, down 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base. 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.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Tama County
How many people live in Tama County
- Population16,868
- 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-equivalents2045th
Tama County is the 43rd largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market 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 growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.09 percent
- Census 2020 base population17,096
- 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
The county has lost 2.09 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Tama County
Where people moving to Tama County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving399
- People arriving, from those returns697
- Adjusted gross income arriving$19.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$48,810
- Largest single originTama County Non-migrants (6,585 households)
- Largest single destination (6,585 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tama County Non-migrants | 6,585 | 13,588 | $464.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 127 | 209 | $6.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 97 | 173 | $5.0 m |
| Marshall County | 63 | 119 | $2.9 m |
| Black Hawk County | 52 | 93 | $2.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 47 | 82 | $2.2 m |
| Linn County | 36 | 55 | $1.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 30 | 55 | $1.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Tama County Non-migrants, 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 the Tama County economy runs on
- 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 Iowa counties60th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1987th
- 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
Who employs people in Tama County
- Covered employment, annual average5,356
- Establishments reporting440
- Average annual pay$48,774
- Average weekly wage$938
- Sector 31-33, employment1,003
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$60,450
- Sector 44-45, employment547
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$27,443
- Sector 42, employment278
- Sector 42, average annual pay$64,495
- Sector 72, employment194
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,554
- Sector 23, employment133
- Sector 52, employment128
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,003 | 15 | $60,450 |
| Sector 44-45 | 547 | 50 | $27,443 |
| Sector 42 | 278 | 38 | $64,495 |
| Sector 72 | 194 | 24 | $18,554 |
| Sector 23 | 133 | 32 | $63,024 |
| Sector 52 | 128 | 26 | $71,249 |
| Sector 48-49 | 118 | 22 | $56,883 |
| Sector 56 | 112 | 16 | $56,650 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,003 jobs, 18.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Tama County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Tama County
What is being built in Tama County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202412
- Declared construction value permitted$8.1 m
- Single family units authorised12
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$671,639
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.8
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Tama County
How much SBA lending happens in Tama County
- 7(a) approvals recorded8
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$410,450
- Median 7(a) approval$203,600
- 10th percentile approval$55,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,500,000
- 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
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (2)
- Most active lenderLincoln Savings Bank (2)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$325,000
- Average 504 approval$81,250
- Median 504 approval$89,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved49.2
- Most active CDCBlack Hawk Economic Development, Inc. (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals66.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.6 m
The average approval of $410,450 sits well above the median of $203,600, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 37.5 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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
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
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Tama County
Which parts of Tama County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- Gladbrook, approvals2
- TOLEDO, approvals2
- TRAER, approvals2
- TAMA, approvals1
- Chelsea, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Gladbrook | 2 | $245,000 |
| TOLEDO | 2 | $2,481,000 |
| TRAER | 2 | $424,600 |
| TAMA | 1 | $55,000 |
| Chelsea | 1 | $78,000 |
Gladbrook accounts for 2 approvals against 2 in TOLEDO. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Tama County
How big 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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population16,868
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has fallen 2.09 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Tama County?
Average annual pay is $48,774, or $938 a week, across 5,356 covered jobs. 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 totalling $3.3 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $203,600, plus 4 504 approvals worth $325,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Tama County?
12 housing units were authorised 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 Tama County Non-migrants, with 6,585 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,810 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.