Population 81 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Ames: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Ames
Household size in Ames
| Period | Ames | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.40 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.26 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.24 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.43 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Ames run small, averaging 2.43 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Ames
| Period | Ames | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.0 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.4 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.0 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.6 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −9.4 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Ames are younger than 40.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in Kansas as a whole, where the median age is 38.8. The median age has dropped from 50.0 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Ames
| Period | Ames | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.6% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Ames (10.6%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Kansas.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Ames
Renters in Ames
| Period | Ames | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.3% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.1% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +11.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Ames own their homes; 26.1% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Nearly two-thirds of owners (64.0%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Ames
| Period | Ames | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.5% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.6% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.6% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −9.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Ames: 15.6% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Ames
| Period | Ames | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1938 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1957 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +19 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Ames is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1957, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Ames
| Period | Ames | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $420 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $329 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $688 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $698 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$278 | +$390 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ames pays $698 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 13.9% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Ames
Bachelor's degrees in Ames
| Period | Ames | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.5% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.7 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Ames have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.5%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Ames
| Period | Ames | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.9% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.4% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.3% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.2% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Ames: 95.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Ames
| Period | Ames | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.7% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 1.7% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.6% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.3% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ames has been low: just 1.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Ames compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ames | 2.43 | 40.6 | 10.6% | 26.1% | 15.6% | 1957 | $698 | 21.5% | 95.2% | 1.3% |
| Rice | 2.43 | 40.6 | 10.6% | 26.1% | 15.6% | 1957 | $698 | 21.5% | 95.2% | 1.3% |
| Clyde | 2.02 | 43.8 | 7.7% | 14.0% | 10.0% | 1940 | $657 | 17.8% | 94.6% | 1.4% |
| St. Joseph | 2.42 | 40.8 | 10.1% | 25.0% | 15.6% | 1958 | $705 | 22.8% | 95.3% | 1.2% |
| Huscher | 2.28 | 42.8 | 10.1% | 30.8% | 13.4% | 1960 | $688 | 22.1% | 95.1% | 1.9% |
| Vining | 2.12 | 50.3 | 4.7% | 13.6% | 18.3% | 1946 | $716 | 19.3% | 93.5% | 0.0% |
| Aurora | 2.42 | 41.0 | 10.6% | 25.8% | 15.8% | 1957 | $699 | 21.4% | 95.3% | 1.3% |
| Clifton | 2.14 | 49.5 | 5.2% | 14.9% | 19.3% | 1948 | $698 | 20.0% | 93.8% | 0.0% |
| Agenda | 1.97 | 60.9 | 1.7% | 15.7% | 32.4% | 1941 | $907 | 18.2% | 88.2% | 0.9% |
| Concordia | 2.23 | 38.9 | 12.5% | 31.3% | 13.2% | 1957 | $887 | 21.4% | 94.3% | 2.7% |
| Wayne | 1.90 | 64.0 | 0.4% | 14.9% | 34.9% | 1938 | $939 | 17.7% | 87.1% | 0.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rio Chiquito, NM · Sand Cut, FL · Model, CO · Cloverton, MN · Moriah, AL · Spofford, TX · Jenkins, NJ · Spring Valley Colony, SD · Three Lynx, OR · Stargo, AZ
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Ames. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.