Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Traer vs Sumner

49 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+7.1 pts in Sumner) and typical home built (13 yrs in Sumner).

×
Traer, IAKnown for its schoolsIowa · 1,519 people
×
Sumner, IAHomes around $148KIowa · 2,106 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

TraerKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 18%of IA districts Housing$179K typical home25% below the IA typical home HealthHealthier than 64%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Traer →
SumnerHomes around $148K
Housing$148K typical home38% below the IA typical home HistorySettled in 18702 places on the National Register All about Sumner →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Growth since 2010+7.1 pts
Sumner has grown faster since 2010
Sumner +0.1%Traer -7%
Typical home built13 yrs
Sumner’s homes are older
Traer 1956Sumner 1943
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $170 more a month in Traer

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.

Traer$1,140/mo
Typical home $179K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.34% · or rent about $971/mo · Housing →
Sumner$970/mo
Typical home $148K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.54% · or rent about $902/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
C−TraerBetter than 18% of districts in the state B−SumnerBetter than 50% of districts in the state
Health
BTraerHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns B−SumnerHealthier than 50% 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
TraerSumner
Snow a year34″41″
January low—6°F
July high—82°F
Growing season (days)—151d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)40th50th
Outdoors & history
TraerSumner
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Settled—1870
National Register places22
Archive photos—5
Famous people born here—5
Community
TraerSumner
Library hours a week32 hrs48 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

TraerIASumnerIA
Traer ↔ Sumner49 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.

TraerSumner
People
Population 1,519Lowest 2,106Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -7%Lowest IA: +4.7% +0.1%Highest IA: +4.7%
Median age 46.5±4.7Lowest 20% above IA 47.5±6.9Highest 23% 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 17.3%±3.8Lowest IA: 22.9% 20.9%±4.7Highest 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+ 21.8%±3Lowest IA: 18.1% 23.3%±3.7Highest 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+ 32.3%Highest IA: 31.4% 28.2%Lowest IA: 31.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.1%±1.7Lowest IA: 6.2% 3.6%±3Highest 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 $76,406±$12kHighest about the IA average $58,854±$9kLowest 22% below IA
Traer and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $151,900±$24kHighest 27% below IA $118,000±$14kLowest 43% 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 $971±$55Highest about the IA average $902±$240Lowest 7% below IA
Traer and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,036Highest 30% below IA $1,821Lowest 37% below IA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.6%±14Highest IA: 43.9% 26.9%±18.1Lowest 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 11.2%Lowest IA: 11.1% 13.6%Highest IA: 11.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 76.7%Lowest IA: 71.7% 77.9%Highest IA: 71.7%
Typical home builtmedian year 1956Highest 16 yrs older than IA 1943Lowest 29 yrs older than IA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minHighest 8% above IA 21 minLowest 6% above IA
Work from home 6.8%±3.3Highest IA: 11.3% 6.7%±4.8Lowest 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 15.4%Lowest 22.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.3 miLowest 23.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.57Lowest 0.79Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Waterloo (19%)Waterloo (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SumnerFew work in Traer
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 1Lowest 6Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 64.8Highest 48.4Lowest
Schools
School district North Tama County Comm School DistrictSumner-Fredericksburg Comm School District
High school in town North Tama High SchoolSumner-Fredericksburg High School
Students per teacherat that high school 12.8Lowest 13.9Highest
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.

Traer neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Traer’s Town Square.

Sumner neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sumner’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Traer and Sumner

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Traer

+ Compare
Preston1,044 people · $164K homes
+ Compare
Kingsley1,472 people · $167K homes
B
+ Compare
Britt1,882 people · $102K homes
+ Compare
Lansing1,115 people · $168K homes

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.

Post to Traer

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in