City · Texas
Ames, Texas
Ames, city, in Liberty County, Texas. Ames had 1,282 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 35.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 937 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,142 (±424). GEOID 4803072.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,282
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 937 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,142 ±424
Median household income
$36,188
±$20,620 (90% margin)
Texas: $78,476
Median home value
$203,600
±$113,090 (90% margin)
Texas: $283,800
Median gross rent
$741
±$696 (90% margin)
Texas: $1,403
Where is Ames and what county is it in?
Ames is a city in Liberty County, Texas. It covers 3.3 square miles of land, 284 residents per square mile in 2020.
Ames is in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 10 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Ames, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,282 people lived in Ames on July 1, 2025, up 35.5% since 2020, faster than Texas (+8.8%). The 2020 Census counted 937 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,142 (±424).
| Measure | Ames | Liberty County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,142 ±424 | 103,380 | no clear change |
| Households | 434 ±141 | 31,183 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.63 ±0.64 | 3.15 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 488 ±149 | 36,121 | no clear change |
Ames's population since 2000
From 1,079 in 2000 to 1,282 in 2025: up 18.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Ames as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Ames?
The median resident of Ames is 39.9 years old; 25.1% are under 18 and 16.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 82.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 9.8%.
| Measure | Ames | Liberty County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.9 ±17.4 | 32.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 25.1% ±12.3 pts | 29.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.9% ±8.3 pts | 11.5% | – |
| Male | 42.0% ±12.7 pts | 49.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9.8% ±13.2 pts | 39.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 48.7% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 82.4% ±13.9 pts | 7.5% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.8% ±7.2 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±3.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.7% ±3.2 pts | 15.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.3% ±7.8 pts | 33.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 11.0% ±6.9 pts | 6.1% | – |
| With a disability | 26.9% ±14.4 pts | 14.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 30.7% ±14.6 pts | 26.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.1% ±11.2 pts | 77.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.0% ±8.6 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.2% ±6.6 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.1% ±17.8 pts | 88.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Ames earn?
Half of Ames's 434 households earn less than $36,188 a year (±$20,620), against $68,703 in Liberty County and $78,476 in Texas. In 2015-2019 it was $32,218 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 25.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Ames | Liberty County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,188 ±$20,620 | $68,703 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $57,170 ±$18,337 | $89,481 | – |
| Per capita income | $22,169 ±$5,500 | $27,195 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 25.4% ±16.0 pts | 18.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 35.6% ±24.2 pts | 23.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 21.4% ±14.6 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 77.9% ±15.2 pts | 95.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 70.3% ±15.9 pts | 90.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Ames?
Owners occupy 62.4% of Ames's occupied homes and renters 37.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $203,600 by its owner (±$113,090).
| Measure | Ames | Liberty County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $203,600 ±$113,090 | $181,700 | +$124,466 |
| Median gross rent | $741 ±$696 | $1,044 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 94.3% ±11.5 pts | 47.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,298 ±$146 | $1,679 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 62.4% ±18.9 pts | 82.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 37.6% ±18.9 pts | 17.7% | – |
| Housing units | 488 ±149 | 36,121 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±16.5 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±25.9 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 75.0% ±15.0 pts | 57.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 25.0% ±15.0 pts | 33.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.3% ±5.5 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 15.8% ±15.1 pts | 18.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.0% ±1.6 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 11.8% ±10.1 pts | 5.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Ames work and get to work?
85.3% of Ames's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 24.5 minutes.
| Measure | Ames | Liberty County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.4% ±18.0 pts | 54.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.4% ±8.8 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 85.3% ±11.2 pts | 77.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.9% ±11.0 pts | 13.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.8% ±4.1 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.5 min ±5.0 | 39.9 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Ames?
No census tract lies mostly in Ames; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 7014Liberty County | 7,650 | $72,683 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Ames) · Census block assignment files
How does Ames compare with other places in Texas?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Ames is the 9,355th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 744th-most populous of 1,224 in Texas.
Ames is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 744th | 1,224 |
Ames's figures with every place in Texas (CSV)
Every place in Texas, sortable · Compare Ames with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Ames?
26 of the 57 figures for Ames on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Ames are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Ames.