Population 833 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ames
Household size in Ames
| Period | Ames | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.61 | 2.96 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.92 | 3.00 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.69 | 2.98 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.89 | 2.91 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.28 | −0.05 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Ames holds 2.89 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. That is in line with the rest of the Houston area. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.61, 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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.0 | 34.0 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.8 | 34.8 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.6 | 35.6 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 31.3 | 36.4 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | −6.7 | +2.3 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 31.3, Ames is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with 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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 13.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 24.7% | 13.5% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +15.9 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about a quarter of households in Ames (24.7%), well above 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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 36.6% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 38.6% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 39.5% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.7% | 38.8% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +12.7 pts | +2.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Ames rent their homes (26.7%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Just over half of owners (52.6%) 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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 11.3% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 10.1% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 9.3% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 8.6% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Ames than nationally: 11.9%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1985 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1988 | 1988 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1995 | 1993 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +20 | +8 | +8 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Ames is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1995, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The Houston area as a whole looks much the same.
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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $729 | $1,018 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $809 | $1,103 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $851 | $1,300 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $934 | $1,649 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$205 | +$631 | +$639 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Ames costs $934 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 42.9% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 29.2% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 30.4% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 32.5% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 35.9% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +6.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Ames: 8.6% 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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.2% | 80.9% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.4% | 81.9% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.5% | 83.6% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 69.5% | 84.8% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | −7.7 pts | +3.9 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About three in ten adults in Ames never finished high school, well above the national share: only 69.5% 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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.5% | 5.6% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 6.2% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ames runs below the national rate: 3.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 | 2.89 | 31.3 | 24.7% | 26.7% | 11.9% | 1995 | $934 | 8.6% | 69.5% | 3.9% |
| Liberty | 2.92 | 35.8 | 11.6% | 27.4% | 18.0% | 1982 | $1,012 | 13.2% | 72.2% | 3.9% |
| Raywood | 3.89 | 32.3 | 14.4% | 23.2% | 25.3% | 1977 | $963 | 13.3% | 89.2% | 20.8% |
| South Liberty | 2.97 | 42.6 | 13.1% | 26.7% | 10.6% | 2001 | $1,089 | 13.0% | 75.4% | 10.0% |
| Shiloh | 2.53 | 51.4 | 9.0% | 22.3% | 13.6% | 1997 | $1,054 | 11.3% | 68.7% | 18.0% |
| Daisetta | 2.55 | 35.3 | 10.7% | 29.8% | 17.3% | 1982 | $1,146 | 17.8% | 90.1% | 4.3% |
| Hardin | 2.75 | 37.3 | 15.4% | 14.3% | 15.7% | 1986 | $1,146 | 11.2% | 81.7% | 2.3% |
| Dayton Lakes | 2.82 | 42.2 | 13.6% | 12.0% | 22.7% | 1995 | $1,121 | 10.7% | 83.3% | 5.7% |
| Moss Bluff | 3.63 | 35.6 | 10.0% | 20.6% | 27.3% | 1995 | $1,106 | 34.7% | 84.1% | 10.4% |
| Kenefick | 3.52 | 34.4 | 9.2% | 11.9% | 5.3% | 2004 | $1,123 | 15.3% | 88.7% | 4.9% |
| Dayton | 3.14 | 36.1 | 11.4% | 18.9% | 10.3% | 2002 | $1,082 | 14.3% | 82.4% | 9.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Shirley, MO · Yale, WA · Rexford, MT · Neeley, ID · Koshkonong, MO · Aneth, UT · Kerby, OR · Escalante, UT · Hillburn, NY · Highland Lakes, NJ
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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