Best Life Index › States › Iowa › Cities › Ames

Iowa city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Ames?

What it costs to live in Ames, and how it compares with other Iowa cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

24

29th best value in Iowa

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Iowa cities.

Overall livability

47

16th overall in Iowa

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Ames is home to about 65,522 people. A typical home runs $222,900 and a household earns around $54,300, a price-to-income ratio of 4.1. Among Iowa's largest cities, it ranks 29th for value and 16th overall.

Ames at a glance

Median home price

$222,900

29th in IA of 30

Median rent

$972/mo

Median household income

$54,300

Home price to income

4.1x

Unemployment

6.8%

30th in IA of 30

School rating

4/10

15th in IA of 30

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in IA of 30

Walk score

6/100

See your real take-home pay in Iowa

Enter your salary and see your paycheck after Iowa taxes.

Calculate my take-home pay ›

‹ See all top Iowa cities ranked  ยท  Iowa state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within Iowa only. Updated 2026.