# Tama County, Iowa

Tama County /ˈteɪmə/ is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,135. Its county seat is Toledo. The county was formed on February 17, 1843 and named for Taimah, a leader of the Meskwaki people.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 722 square miles (1,870 km$^2$), of which 721 square miles (1,870 km$^2$) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km$^2$) (0.1%) is water.

### Major highways

* U.S. Highway 30
* U.S. Highway 63
* Iowa Highway 8
* Iowa Highway 21
* Iowa Highway 96
* Iowa Highway 146

### Adjacent counties

* Grundy County (northwest)
* Black Hawk County (northeast)
* Benton County (east)
* Poweshiek County (south)
* Marshall County (west)
* Iowa County (southeast)
* Jasper County (southwest)

## Demographics
### 2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 17,135 in the county, with a population density of 23.7323/sq mi (9.16311/km$^2$). 93.80% of the population reported being of one race. There were 7,575 housing units, of which 6,784 were occupied.
Tama County Racial Composition :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (NH) | 13,284 | 77.52% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 125 | 0.73% |
| Native American (NH) | 1,258 | 7.34% |
| Asian (NH) | 80 | 0.5% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 2 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 582 | 3.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,804 | 10.53% |

### 2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 17,767 in the county, with a population density of 24.5638/sq mi (9.4841/km$^2$). There were 7,766 housing units, of which 6,947 were occupied.

### 2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,767 people, 7,018 households, and 4,968 families residing in the county. The population density was 25 people per square mile (9.7 people/km$^2$). There were 7,583 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (3.9/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 90.38% White, 0.25% Black or African American, 6.09% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.90% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. 3.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,018 households, out of which 31.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 25.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.60% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,419, and the median income for a family was $43,646. Males had a median income of $30,723 versus $22,597 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,097. About 7.60% of families and 10.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.50% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.

## Education

School districts include:
* Belle Plaine Community School District
* Benton Community School District
* East Marshall Community School District
* GMG Community School District
* Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District
* Grundy Center Community School District
* North Tama County Community School District
* South Tama County Community School District
* Union Community School District
There is also a Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-affiliated tribal school, Meskwaki Settlement School.
The largest of which is South Tama Community School District, at the 3A designation. Second largest is North Tama Community Schools. Lastly both GMG and Meskwaki Settlement School with an eight-man designation.

## Communities
### Cities

* Chelsea
* Clutier
* Dysart
* Elberon
* Garwin
* Gladbrook
* Le Grand
* Lincoln
* Montour
* Tama
* Toledo
* Traer
* Vining

### Unincorporated communities

* Buckingham
* Long Point
* Meskwaki Settlement

### Townships

Tama County is divided into twenty-one townships:
* Buckingham
* Carlton
* Carroll
* Clark
* Columbia
* Crystal
* Geneseo
* Grant
* Highland
* Howard
* Indian Village
* Lincoln
* Oneida
* Otter Creek
* Perry
* Richland
* Salt Creek
* Spring Creek
* Tama
* Toledo
* York

### Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Tama County.
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
| 1 | Tama | City | 3,130 |
| 2 | † Toledo | City | 2,369 |
| 3 | Traer | City | 1,583 |
| 4 | Dysart | City | 1,281 |
| 5 | Sac and Fox/Meskwaki Settlement | AIAN | 1,120 |
| 6 | Le Grand (mostly in Marshall County) | City | 905 |
| 7 | Gladbrook | City | 799 |
| 8 | Garwin | City | 481 |
| 9 | Chelsea | City | 229 |
| 10 | Clutier | City | 213 |
| 11 | Montour | City | 203 |
| 12 | Elberon | City | 184 |
| 13 | Lincoln | City | 121 |
| 14 | Vining | City | 54 |

## Notable people

* George R. Struble (1836–1918). Iowa judge and politician from Toledo. Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives, 1881–1883. Ardent prohibitionist. Brother of John T. Struble of Johnson County, and Congressman Isaac S. Struble of Plymouth County. Biography in the Journal of the House, memorial resolution of March 23, 1921.
* Michael Emerson, born in Cedar Rapids and raised in Toledo, Emerson has been on Broadway and appeared on Lost.
* Clifford Berry (1918-1963), born in Gladbrook, was a graduate student at Iowa State when he and John Vincent Atanasoff created the Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC), the first digital electronic computer, in 1939.

## Politics

Between 1888 and 1984, Tama County was a reliable bellwether county, backing the nationwide winner in every presidential election except for 1916 and 1960. For the next seven election cycles, from 1988 to 2012, Tama County backed the Democratic candidate in each election, although George W. Bush came extremely close to winning the county in both 2000 and 2004, losing by slim margins of just 11 and 31 votes respectively. In 2016, Donald Trump moved the county back into the Republican camp, taking nearly 57% of the county's vote and winning it by more than 20%, the best margin in the county for any candidate since Ronald Reagan won the county during his 1980 landslide. Though Trump's margin of victory dropped slightly to just over 19% in 2020, he increased his vote share to almost 59%, the best vote share for a candidate of either party in Tama County since the 1964 landslide victory of Lyndon B. Johnson.
United States presidential election results for Tama County, Iowa :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 5,379 | 62.43% | 3,070 | 35.63% | 167 | 1.94% |
| 2020 | 5,303 | 58.61% | 3,577 | 39.53% | 168 | 1.86% |
| 2016 | 4,971 | 56.80% | 3,196 | 36.52% | 585 | 6.68% |
| 2012 | 4,098 | 45.45% | 4,768 | 52.88% | 151 | 1.67% |
| 2008 | 3,820 | 43.15% | 4,899 | 55.34% | 133 | 1.50% |
| 2004 | 4,456 | 49.51% | 4,487 | 49.85% | 58 | 0.64% |
| 2000 | 4,034 | 48.51% | 4,045 | 48.65% | 236 | 2.84% |
| 1996 | 2,986 | 38.52% | 3,994 | 51.52% | 772 | 9.96% |
| 1992 | 2,948 | 35.39% | 3,573 | 42.89% | 1,809 | 21.72% |
| 1988 | 3,362 | 41.96% | 4,584 | 57.21% | 66 | 0.82% |
| 1984 | 4,882 | 54.30% | 4,061 | 45.17% | 47 | 0.52% |
| 1980 | 4,840 | 56.27% | 3,049 | 35.45% | 713 | 8.29% |
| 1976 | 4,379 | 48.08% | 4,580 | 50.29% | 148 | 1.63% |
| 1972 | 5,058 | 56.96% | 3,693 | 41.59% | 129 | 1.45% |
| 1968 | 4,955 | 53.55% | 3,767 | 40.71% | 531 | 5.74% |
| 1964 | 3,543 | 36.88% | 6,057 | 63.04% | 8 | 0.08% |
| 1960 | 5,535 | 52.78% | 4,950 | 47.21% | 1 | 0.01% |
| 1956 | 5,952 | 55.25% | 4,795 | 44.51% | 26 | 0.24% |
| 1952 | 7,061 | 63.30% | 4,076 | 36.54% | 17 | 0.15% |
| 1948 | 4,763 | 47.50% | 5,115 | 51.01% | 150 | 1.50% |
| 1944 | 5,249 | 49.67% | 5,286 | 50.02% | 32 | 0.30% |
| 1940 | 5,865 | 49.31% | 5,996 | 50.42% | 32 | 0.27% |
| 1936 | 4,737 | 41.11% | 6,625 | 57.50% | 160 | 1.39% |
| 1932 | 4,051 | 37.10% | 6,704 | 61.39% | 165 | 1.51% |
| 1928 | 5,589 | 53.58% | 4,798 | 45.99% | 45 | 0.43% |
| 1924 | 5,177 | 55.27% | 2,180 | 23.27% | 2,010 | 21.46% |
| 1920 | 6,352 | 70.01% | 2,552 | 28.13% | 169 | 1.86% |
| 1916 | 3,061 | 53.37% | 2,572 | 44.85% | 102 | 1.78% |
| 1912 | 1,179 | 21.57% | 2,446 | 44.76% | 1,840 | 33.67% |
| 1908 | 2,774 | 49.78% | 2,550 | 45.76% | 248 | 4.45% |
| 1904 | 3,127 | 55.12% | 2,360 | 41.60% | 186 | 3.28% |
| 1900 | 3,290 | 53.45% | 2,736 | 44.45% | 129 | 2.10% |
| 1896 | 3,054 | 53.27% | 2,596 | 45.28% | 83 | 1.45% |