Tool
Compare places
Put up to four U.S. cities, towns or census-designated places side by side on 29 figures: 22 measures from the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, each with its margin, and their 2025 population estimate, growth, density, new homes and housing costs against income. A filled square marks a figure that differs from the first place by more than both margins of error allow; without it, the survey cannot tell the two apart.
How do Ames, IA compare?
| Figure | Ames, IA |
|---|---|
| Residents, July 2025 (estimate) | 68,220 |
| Change since April 2020 | +2.7% |
| Residents counted in the 2020 Census | 66,427 |
| Residents per square mile (2020) | 2,355 |
| Homes permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 1.7 |
| Median home value ÷ median household income | 4.5 years of income |
| A year of median rent ÷ median income of all households (renters usually earn less) | 20.1% |
| Measure | Ames, IA |
|---|---|
| Total population | 67,669±39 |
| Median age | 23.3±0.3 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.1%±0.4 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 76.8%±0.9 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.8%±0.4 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 9.3%±0.8 pts |
| Born outside the United States | 11.6%±1.0 pts |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 65.8%±2.3 pts |
| Median household income | $60,991±$1,892 |
| Per capita income | $34,343±$1,343 |
| People below the poverty line | 25.5%±1.9 pts |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8%±1.5 pts |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $277,400±$9,482 |
| Median gross rent | $1,023±$38 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 42.0%±3.7 pts |
| Owner-occupied homes | 42.1%±1.8 pts |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.3%±0.7 pts |
| Worked from home | 12.1%±1.4 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 62.5%±2.0 pts |
| Public transportation | 5.5%±1.1 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 15.6 min±0.8 |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.4%±0.8 pts |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025; 2020 Census; Building Permits Survey 2025 · Check it at data.census.gov