A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Sumner$970/mo

Typical home $148K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.54% · or rent about $902/mo · Housing →

Traer$1,140/mo

Typical home $179K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.34% · or rent about $971/mo · Housing →

The difference: $170 a month, about $2,000 a year, between Traer and Sumner.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Iowa ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

B−SumnerBetter than 50% of districts in the state C−TraerBetter than 18% of districts in the state

Health

B−SumnerHealthier than 50% of U.S. towns BTraerHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

SumnerTraer

Snow a year41″34″

January low6°F —

July high82°F —

Growing season (days)151d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)50th 40th

Outdoors & history

SumnerTraer

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land0%0%

Settled1870 —

National Register places2 2

Archive photos5 —

Famous people born here5 —

Community

SumnerTraer

Library hours a week48 hrs 32 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

49 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SumnerIA TraerIA

Sumner ↔ Traer49 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Iowa average

SumnerTraer

People

Population 2,106Highest 1,519Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.1%Highest IA: +4.7% -7%Lowest IA: +4.7%

Median age 47.5±6.9Highest 23% above IA 46.5±4.7Lowest 20% above IA

Sumner and Traer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 20.9%±4.7Highest IA: 22.9% 17.3%±3.8Lowest IA: 22.9%

Sumner and Traer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 23.3%±3.7Highest IA: 18.1% 21.8%±3Lowest IA: 18.1%

Sumner and Traer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28.2%Lowest IA: 31.4% 32.3%Highest IA: 31.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.6%±3Highest IA: 6.2% 3.1%±1.7Lowest IA: 6.2%

Sumner and Traer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $58,854±$9kLowest 22% below IA $76,406±$12kHighest about the IA average

Traer and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $118,000±$14kLowest 43% below IA $151,900±$24kHighest 27% below IA

Traer and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $902±$240Lowest 7% below IA $971±$55Highest about the IA average

Traer and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,821Lowest 37% below IA $2,036Highest 30% below IA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 26.9%±18.1Lowest IA: 43.9% 45.6%±14Highest IA: 43.9%

Traer and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 13.6%Highest IA: 11.1% 11.2%Lowest IA: 11.1%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 77.9%Highest IA: 71.7% 76.7%Lowest IA: 71.7%

Typical home builtmedian year 1943Lowest 29 yrs older than IA 1956Highest 16 yrs older than IA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 6% above IA 21 minHighest 8% above IA

Work from home 6.7%±4.8Lowest IA: 11.3% 6.8%±3.3Highest IA: 11.3%

Traer and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 22.5%Highest 15.4%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miHighest 22.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.79Highest 0.57Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Waterloo (14%)Waterloo (19%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TraerFew work in Sumner

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 48.4Lowest 64.8Highest

Schools

School district Sumner-Fredericksburg Comm School DistrictNorth Tama County Comm School District

High school in town Sumner-Fredericksburg High SchoolNorth Tama High School

Students per teacherat that high school 13.9Highest 12.8Lowest

Iowa average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Sumner neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sumner’s Town Square.

Traer neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Traer’s Town Square.

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Towns like Sumner

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Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Iowa towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Sumner vs Traer

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $170 more a month in Traer

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

49 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Sumner and Traer

Towns like Sumner

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