Living in Ames, IA
College town in Iowa
Ames is a college town in Iowa, home to about 66,000 people, with 364,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Ames a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $293k and rents for $1,600 a month
- Safe: violent crime is 0.5× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Mild summers: highs around 82°F
- Low natural disaster risk: 11 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
- Few dog parks: 1 within 9 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Ames ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Ames: common questions
What is the cost of living in Ames?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $293k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,600 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 89, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Ames?
Iowa collects about $1,192 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.45% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Ames safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.5× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Ames?
Ames has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 32°F and summer days around 82°F, with roughly 27″ of snow a year.
Does Ames get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding and tornadoes: 11 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.53 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Ames?
The nearest major airport is DSM, about 34 mi away.
How Ames scores
Each bar compares Ames with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Ames right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.