Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Tama, Iowa
A $101,000 home here costs
$985per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $519. The real number is $466 higher every month — 90% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Tama against Tama County and Iowa
| Measure | Tama | Tama County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $101,200 | $139,900 |
| Median property tax | $1,718 | $1,945 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.698% | 1.390% |
| Median gross rent | $744 | $865 |
| Population | 3,079 | 16,982 |
The weather behind that power bill
Tama sits in Tama County, which averages a high of 83.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 9.4°F in its coldest, with 35.25" of precipitation a year and 41% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 704 cooling and 7,115 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Tama County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Tama County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Tama?
A $101,000 home in Tama, Iowa costs approximately $985 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $519 principal and interest, $143 property tax, $44 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $84 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Tama?
Tama has an effective property tax rate of 1.698%, based on a median home value of $101,200 and median real estate taxes of $1,718. That is higher than the Tama County average of 1.390%.
What is the average home price in Tama?
The median owner-occupied home value in Tama, Iowa is $101,200, against $139,900 across Tama County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Tama?
Median gross rent in Tama is $744 a month, against $985 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Tama — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Iowa.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.