Tama County, Iowa Housing Market

In Tama County, Iowa, the median home value is $148,600, with a median monthly rent of $872. This places Tama County at #2260 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #65 within Iowa.

Median Home Value $148,600
Median Rent $872/mo
Owner Occupancy 76.0%
Price/Rent Ratio 14.2

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Tama County rose +3.2% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

3,456
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $956
  • Establishments: 384
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

5
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 5
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+215
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 7,081 (avg $69,098)
  • Outflow: 6,866 (avg $69,743)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Tama County Compares

MetricTama CountyIowa AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $148,600 $171,037 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $872 $832 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 76.0% 75.8% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 14.2 17.0 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Tama County is 13.1% below the Iowa state average and 34.7% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $872/month is 4.8% above the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 14.2, buying a home in Tama County is generally more favorable than renting for those planning to stay long-term. A ratio below 15 typically signals that purchasing is financially advantageous over a multi-year horizon.

Tama County has an owner-occupancy rate of 76.0%, compared to 75.8% in Iowa and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more homeowner-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Anson County North Carolina $148,600 $814
Vigo County Indiana $148,500 $924
McLean County Kentucky $148,500 $641
Emporia city Virginia $148,500 $1,037
Taylor County West Virginia $148,800 $835

Other Counties in Iowa

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Kossuth County $148,300 $859 78.6%
Howard County $147,800 $713 77.4%
Louisa County $150,100 $775 80.3%
Cass County $150,300 $777 71.6%
Worth County $145,800 $758 83.2%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).