Population 53 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ames
Household size in Ames
| Period | Ames | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.96 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.33 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.01 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 4.17 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | +2.21 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Ames is a place of big households: 4.17 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 1.96, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.4 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.0 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 17.8 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −30.6 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 17.8, Ames is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward families with many children.
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 | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.4% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.0% of households in Ames, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.2% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 0.9% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −11.9 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Almost every household in Ames owns its home; nationally, 34.8% rent. About three in ten owners (30.2%) have paid off their mortgages, below 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 | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.6% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.2% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.3% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 18.3% of the housing in Ames, 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 | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1938 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1958 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +20 | +5 | +6 |
Ames is a place of older homes: half were built before 1958, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The picture is much the same across New York.
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 | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $809 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $869 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $736 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $870 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$61 | +$698 | +$606 |
Rent in Ames runs $870 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 30.2% of household income on rent, just over 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 | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.3% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.0% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.5% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Ames: 22.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.4% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.0% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.3% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 66.7% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | −23.7 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a third of adults in Ames never finished high school, well above the national share: only 66.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.3% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.6 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in Ames out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force nationally. 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 | 4.17 | 17.8 | 8.0% | 0.0% | 18.3% | 1958 | $870 | 22.6% | 66.7% | 0.0% |
| Mapletown | 3.09 | 35.7 | 6.9% | 10.4% | 17.1% | 1953 | $875 | 24.9% | 85.9% | 1.9% |
| Buel | 4.14 | 18.2 | 8.0% | 0.1% | 18.3% | 1958 | $869 | 22.4% | 66.9% | 0.1% |
| Canajoharie | 2.93 | 34.6 | 9.3% | 20.4% | 16.5% | 1945 | $864 | 19.8% | 88.3% | 1.7% |
| Leesville | 2.65 | 39.3 | 12.1% | 22.5% | 21.0% | 1954 | $1,039 | 25.6% | 88.6% | 5.1% |
| Sharon Springs | 2.67 | 40.1 | 13.2% | 22.0% | 19.0% | 1954 | $1,140 | 26.8% | 91.9% | 5.2% |
| Browns Hollow | 2.82 | 35.9 | 4.0% | 2.7% | 26.3% | 1987 | $823 | 19.1% | 88.7% | 1.5% |
| Hessville | 3.31 | 26.0 | 9.9% | 2.8% | 12.9% | 1975 | $747 | 20.1% | 74.9% | 0.0% |
| Palatine Bridge | 2.30 | 48.7 | 4.4% | 25.3% | 7.7% | 1972 | $798 | 23.5% | 92.5% | 2.1% |
| Van Deusenville | 2.73 | 36.8 | 5.1% | 7.0% | 20.6% | 1974 | $792 | 13.1% | 74.5% | 4.2% |
| Nelliston | 1.90 | 61.5 | 4.7% | 29.0% | 14.1% | 1962 | $621 | 17.6% | 85.8% | 4.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Matinicus, ME · McNary, TX · Trementina, NM · Arlington, CO · Tipton, WY · Tionesta, CA · Juntura, OR · Stony River, AK · Gratitude, MD · Stewarts Point, NV
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.
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