Ames, IA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Iowa·Ames

Why look at Ames?

  • Moderately priced housing. Median home is $301k.
  • Stable market. Home values +2.7% year-over-year — neither overheated nor falling.
  • Growing population. ~1.0%/yr — typically signals jobs + investment.
Ames, IA
Image: Wikipedia · Ames, Iowa
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
66
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Ames stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $301,426
1-year +2.7%
5-yr growth +3.9%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +1.0%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$301k$189k$230k$272k$313k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,039/mo$803$956$1,109202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent121122100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 24.2
Lean rent

At a 24.2 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Ames. Buying makes more sense the longer you plan to stay and the more confident you are that prices will keep appreciating roughly in line with rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
64 · w22%
Home 5-yr growth
58 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
64 · w16%
Rent YoY
62 · w12%
Home 10-yr growth
54 · w10%

About Ames (Wikipedia)

Ames is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Des Moines in central Iowa. It is the home of Iowa State University (ISU). According to the 2020 census, Ames had a population of 66,427, making it the state's ninth-most populous city. Iowa State University was home to 30,177 students as of fall 2023, which make up approximately one half of the city's population.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

Area27.92 sq mi
Elevation922 postal_code_type = ZIP code(s)™ ft
IncorporatedDecember 20, 1869 unit_pref = Imperial
Motto"Smart Choice"
Density2408.61/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Story County right now.

NWS active alerts (IA)Iowa Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Story County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Ames

12 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Northridge$490,141-0.1%
2Top-O-Hollow$418,809+4.2%
3Stone Brooke$384,669+3.7%
4Somerset Village$366,175+2.1%
5Bloomington Heights$361,015+4.4%
6Edwards$306,232+3.7%
7South Campus Area$296,833+4.8%
8Meeker North$280,592+3.2%
9Kate Mitchell$244,433+0.8%
10North Old Town$230,709+0.8%
11College Creek/Old Ames$220,187-0.8%
12Oak-Riverside$219,061-4.2%

Run the numbers for Ames

ToolCan I afford Ames?Income → city shortlistToolCompare Ames to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolAmes cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Iowa context

Schools

8 public schools4,788 students15.0:1 student-teacher

Ames is served by 8 public schools enrolling about 4,788 students, with a student-teacher ratio of 15.0:1 — about the same as the US average of ~15:1. Public-school facts are from the NCES Common Core of Data; check ratings and attendance boundaries by exact address below.

Ratings, districts & boundaries:

NCES school directory →School ratings →Iowa report card →

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
28° / 11°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
84° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
200
~55% of year
Annual precip
36″ rain
30″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Ames listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-28 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Filtered for Ames-specific coverage. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Ames area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$70,500
Iowa state median
Top industries (state-level)
InsuranceManufacturingAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Find more cities like Ames

Open the matchmaker pre-filled to match Ames’s price band, region, and size — refine to taste.

Find more like Ames →

Cities similar to Ames

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

See all Iowa cities →    Browse best-of lists →

Cost-of-ownership at the median

Tax burden
moderate state tax
~29% all-in for a $150k earner
Property tax / yr
$5k
1.50% × median home $301k
Climate / hazard
limited data
Plan for the local hazard profile.

Snapshot assumes a $150k single earner buying at the median home. Your real numbers depend on bracket, deductions, school district, and HOA. Use the affordability calculator and net-pay calculator for your specific case.

Schools & crime context

Schools

School quality is district-by-district and varies dramatically within a city. Check GreatSchools or your state DOE rankings for specific schools before deciding. City-level school data coming soon.

Crime

Iowa: 248 violent crimes per 100K residents (state avg, FBI UCR). Neighborhood-level rates can vary 10× within one city — research specific areas via CrimeGrade or local police data.

Compare to where you live now

Set your current city once and we’ll show the cost delta on every city profile.

Jobs & hiring

In Ames, unemployment sits around 5.8%, and hiring momentum has been steady. The strongest local sectors are tech, hospitality & tourism and skilled trades & manufacturing.

5.8% unemployment56/100 hiring momentum$60,991 median household income48/100 remote-work fit

Search current openings:

Indeed →LinkedIn →Google Jobs →ZipRecruiter →USAJOBS (federal) →