Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Tama earns a D, 131st of 140 graded towns in Iowa, mostly because of health and schools. Residents are less healthy than 93% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its public schools trail 90% of Iowa towns on state tests and graduation. What it does well: a typical home costs about $142K, 2 years of the county’s $71K median household income. 24% of residents live below the poverty line in Tama, against 11% in Iowa’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On walkability, just 23 of Iowa’s 276 towns do worse. Tama's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 89% of U.S. towns.
Where Tama beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Lincoln Highway Bridge| Widest gap | Tama | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 16.3% | 7.3% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Tama is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,161 in 1870, 3,130 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2003 and a map from 1980 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tama, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Tama.
Tama has homes that are cheap against local pay and trades workers with Toledo and other neighbors, but it has poverty well above the Iowa rate.
2.5 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The trail density in Tama is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Tama | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.3% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mannatts Landing | — | 12 |
| 2. Tama City Park | — | 9 |
| 3. Roadside Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the South Tama County school district. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is South Tama County High School, with 421 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Tama County Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 534 | D− |
| South Tama County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 421 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
37% of Tama adults get no exercise outside work. Only 3 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Tama. 37% of Tama adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Tama | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 26% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 18% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Tama | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.8% | 8.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 16.3% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 2 years of the county’s $71K median household income, the typical home (about $142K) costs less against local pay than in 91% of Iowa towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living.
The typical Tama home is worth about $142,000, up 2.3% in a year, 40% below the Iowa typical home. Tama’s median rent is $832 a month.
| Tama | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $832 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Tama has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 11° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Tama has about as many jobs (1,362) as working residents, but only 214 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 765 in 2013 to 1,362.
Most working residents leave Tama for work: only 16% work in town. Jobs based in Tama grew to 1,362 in 2023, 597 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Toledo (9%), Marshalltown (7%) and Grinnell (6%).
| Tama | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 23 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Tama.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Tama; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Tama residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
4 notable people were born in Tama.
City in Iowa, United States
Tama is a city in Tama County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,130 at the time of the 2020 census. Tama is situated two miles south of Toledo, the county seat. The two towns are close enough to have nearly grown together over the years.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Tama grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #131 of 140 in Iowa. It grades D for health and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
4 notable people were born here, including Paul Bradley and Andre Roberts.