Best PlacesIowa State University, Ames, IA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Iowa State University, Ames, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Costs and crime both read low, and the nearest big city is a drive away. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Iowa State University, Ames ranks 2,822nd of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on short commutes by a wide margin, and distance from a big city ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in Iowa State University, Ames
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Iowa State University, Ames' strengths and weaknesses
Where Iowa State University, Ames ranks high
- Short commute13.0 minutes each way, better than 99% of neighborhoods
- State fiscal healthBetter than 97% of neighborhoods
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 96% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than 95% of neighborhoods
- Cheap childcare$746 a month, better than 93% of neighborhoods
Where Iowa State University, Ames ranks low
- Big-city accessBetter than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 13% of neighborhoods
- Housing crash safetyBetter than only 14% of neighborhoods
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 18% of neighborhoods
- Household income$52,383 median, better than only 18% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Iowa State University, Ames
A household needs to earn about $59,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Iowa State University, Ames home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $52,383, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Iowa State University, Ames' effective rate of 1.35%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 8 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Iowa State University, Ames
Iowa State University, Ames runs younger than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Iowa State University, Ames.
Who works in Iowa State University, Ames, and how
Work in Iowa State University, Ames centers on education and hospitality & food. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 56%
- Work from home 7%
- Transit, walk, or bike 37%
Life in Iowa State University, Ames
Iowa State University, Ames has more parkland per resident than 92% of neighborhoods. That concentrates in some parts of Iowa State University, Ames and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Iowa State University, Ames, month by month
Iowa State University, Ames sees roughly 100 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 86 degrees. January highs sit near 30, with lows near 14. The comfortable stretch runs May through September.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 21° | 14° |
| April | 63° | 49° | 39° |
| July | 86° | 75° | 64° |
| October | 65° | 52° | 42° |
Flying in and out of Iowa State University, Ames
The nearest airport, Des Moines International, is about 34 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Eppley Airfield, about 126 miles away.
The best schools in and around Iowa State University, Ames
Schools across Iowa State University, Ames average a B+, better than 88% of neighborhoods.
Top middle schools
- Ames Middle SchoolA+ · 69% proficient
Top high schools
- Ames High SchoolA · 72% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Iowa State University, Ames school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Iowa State University, Ames measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Iowa State University, Ames against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in Iowa State University, Ames
Is Iowa State University, Ames a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Iowa State University, Ames ranks 2,822nd of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on short commutes, state finances, and cheap car insurance, and lowest on distance from a big city and the cost of living against local pay. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Iowa State University, Ames expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $211,323. The overall cost of living runs about 11% below the national average. Set against a $52,383 median income, cost of living beats 13% of neighborhoods.
Is Iowa State University, Ames safe?
Yes, Iowa State University, Ames is safer than 90% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $229 per resident a year.
Compare Iowa State University, Ames with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Iowa State University, Ames. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Iowa State University, Ames represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Iowa State University, Ames detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Iowa State University, Ames: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Iowa State University, Ames: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Iowa State University, Ames: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Iowa State University, Ames: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Iowa State University, Ames detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.