Tennant, Iowa Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 84, Tennant's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Tennant is a small community located in Iowa, within Shelby County. The total population is 84. It ranks as the 883rd most populous out of 1,017 Census-designated places in Iowa.

Age Demographics

The median age in Tennant is 54.9 years. This is 42% higher than the state median of 38.6 years. Only 10.7% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 10.7% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Tennant is $62,885. This is 16% lower than the state median of $75,059. It is also 22% lower than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Tennant. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The survey records no unemployed residents in Tennant, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $210,000. Housing costs are about the same as the state median of $208,000. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.3x. 90.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 27% higher than the state average of 71.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

Tennant has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.4% of all residents.

Education

10.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 67% lower than the state rate of 31.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 86.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Tennant, Iowa is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Iowa state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,017 Census-designated places in Iowa. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.