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Living in Ames

Ames had 67,669 residents in July 2026 and is a city in the United States. Median household income was US$60,991 a year in July 2026. There were 23 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Ames?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in Ames.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median gross rent was US$1,023 per month, while the median home value was US$277,400 in July 2026. Owner occupation was 42.1%, and the vacancy rate was 8.05% in July 2026. 50.2% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Ames recurring monthly costs, € per month€1254Private kindergarten€146Utilities, 85 m² flat€61Internet, 60 Mbps€59Fitness club€48Mobile plan, 10 GB€41Transport pass€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly59.49 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Ames (Wayback Machine capture 20260120211010)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited60.72 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Ames (Wayback Machine capture 20260120211010)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly1,254 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Ames (Wayback Machine capture 20260120211010)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB47.67 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Ames (Wayback Machine capture 20260120211010)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass41.36 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo — Cost of Living in Ames (Wayback capture 20250524064844)24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home146.5 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Ames (Wayback Machine capture 20260120211010)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G02 Median Gross Rent Usd$1,023/month4 Jul 2026ACS median owner-occupied home value1Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent50.24 %4 Jul 2026ACS median owner-occupied home value1Official
G02 Vacancy Rate Pct8.05 %4 Jul 2026ACS median owner-occupied home value1Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents1,716 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics8Official
Median monthly rent899.2 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Safety City Property Crime Count879 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

11.6% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 7,881 people of 68,220 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Ames is 5.8%. Of 2,065 cities with data, 1,200 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United States per band1200 cities: 0% to under 5%12000–5742 cities: 5% to under 10%7425–10Ames 5.8%95 cities: 10% to under 15%9510–1525 cities: 15% to under 20%2515–202 cities: 20% to under 25%220–251 city: 25% to under 30%125–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
G03 Median Household Income Usd60,991 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Cable Fiber Dsl Pct65.14 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Subscription Pct74.23 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Internet Without Subscription Pct22.81 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 No Internet Pct2.87 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Satellite Internet Pct4.8 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Median gross salary1,326 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)20Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)3,550 EUR/month31 Dec 2025www.bls.gov19Official
Unemployment rate5.84 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Ames. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search
Open official service
Open the United States service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Ames. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 High School Or Higher Share Pct97.88 %4 Jul 2026ACS median owner-occupied home value1Official
Schools15 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count12Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · school district
G07 School Enrollment Share Pct52.26 %4 Jul 2026ACS median owner-occupied home value1Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
G06 Mental Health Provider Ratio1 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio11Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents23 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio11Official
G06 Preventable Hospitalization Rate2,402 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio11Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Ames when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesAmes highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Ames highlighted5,457Philadelphia5,442Houston5,218San Antonio4,012Chicago4,010Dallas3,709Austin3,158Fort Worth3,125Phoenix3,039New York2,212Los Angeles2,082San Diego1,654Amesrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents1,654 offences per 100,000country median 1,58931 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting10Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents197.8 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics8Official
Safety City Violent Crime Count71 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
G05 Commute15.6 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct1.71 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct5.51 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct10.16 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Nearest airportAMW3 Aug 2026OurAirports17Official
Distance to nearest airport5 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports17Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Ames. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, Onlinevaries
Open official information
Open the full United States section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Ames.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Ames average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C-20°-10°0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND29°-12°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Ames average monthly precipitation, mm035701051402530559713513711512098675137JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Ames annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5256.9PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Ames is 6.9 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 262 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United States per band1 city: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³11–22 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³22–331 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³313–451 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³514–5135 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³1355–6262 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³2626–7Ames 6.9252 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³2527–8124 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1248–958 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³589–1033 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3310–114 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³411–124 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³412–135 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³513–143 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³314–153 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³315–16

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean6.9 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202422Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Average daytime high by monthJan -1.72 · Feb 0.889 · Mar 8.72 · Apr 16.67 · May 22.5 · Jun 27.39 · Jul 28.83 · Aug 27.67 · Sep 25 · Oct 17.83 · Nov 8.61 · Dec 0.944 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00130200 (AMES 8 WSW)14Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -11.72 · Feb -9.22 · Mar -2.78 · Apr 3.22 · May 9.72 · Jun 15.44 · Jul 17.11 · Aug 15.61 · Sep 10.5 · Oct 3.94 · Nov -2.83 · Dec -8.61 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00094989 (AMES MUNI AP)16Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan -6.78 · Feb -4.22 · Mar 2.78 · Apr 9.67 · May 15.94 · Jun 21.44 · Jul 22.94 · Aug 21.67 · Sep 17.44 · Oct 10.5 · Nov 2.72 · Dec -3.78 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information16Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 24.89 · Feb 30.48 · Mar 55.37 · Apr 96.52 · May 134.9 · Jun 137.4 · Jul 114.6 · Aug 120.1 · Sep 97.54 · Oct 67.31 · Nov 50.55 · Dec 37.08 mm1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00130203 (AMES 5 SE)15Official · nearest-station reading
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Max Ug M376.8 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · monitor observation
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Mean Annual Ug M39.38 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · monitor observation
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Monitor Count6 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · monitor observation
G11 Annual Precipitation Mm782.4 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Max Temp C Jul22.44 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature10.82 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Min Temp C Jan-4.41 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Cities of a similar size in United States

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United States cities
Pflugerville68,316 residentsHaverhill68,361 residentsBethesda68,056 residentsMadison67,968 residentsHuntersville68,535 residentsRowlett67,890 residents

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Ames residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport88.4%Foreign residents11.6%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share7.75 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)5Official
Foreign residents7,881 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G09 Ntd Service Area Population54,445 people4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Population density933.9 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau6Official
Population68,220 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program18Official
Safety City Crime Covered Population69,676 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official

Is Ames a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker52%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 42–62%
Skilled employee65%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–75%
Student51%strong on education, weak on work · range 40–62%
Family48%strong on family, weak on cost · range 38–58%
Retirement45%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 33–57%
Foreign residents7,881 people31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Population68,220 people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Households spending over 30% of income on rent50.24 %4 Jul 2026Official source · ACS median owner-occupied home value
Median monthly rent899.2 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Property crime per 100,000 residents1,716 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026Official source · FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics
Median gross salary1,326 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-11

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G02 Median Home Value Usd277,400 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median owner-occupied home value1Official
Owner-occupied homes42.08 %4 Jul 2026ACS median owner-occupied home value1Official
G03 Labour66.22 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Residents born abroad11.65 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Naturalized Citizen Share Pct3.9 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Non Citizen Share Pct7.75 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G06 Flu Vaccination Coverage Pct64.88 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage3Official
G06 Mammography Screening Pct78.3 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate4Official
G06 Uninsured Share Pct4.43 %4 Jul 2026ACS median owner-occupied home value1Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct65.75 %4 Jul 2026ACS median owner-occupied home value1Official
G08 Reporting Agency Count1 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics8Official
G09 Households With Vehicle Available Pct92.82 %4 Jul 2026ACS median owner-occupied home value1Official
G09 Ntd Agency Count2 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Unlinked Passenger Trips 20223,674,049 trips4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Vehicles Operated Max Service 202258 vehicles4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus37,081 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Work From Home Share Pct12.11 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Cellular Data Plan Pct70.03 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official

How does Ames compare?

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Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Ames?

The median gross salary is 3,550 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in Ames?

The unemployment rate is 5.84 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in Ames?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 6.9 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is Ames?

Police recorded 1,654 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in Ames?

The published population is 68,220 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Ames?

7,881 people residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is Ames a good place to live?

Ames may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 14). Ames, United States: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/ames/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_ames-united-states-rent-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_cc69bbdcf0fb,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Ames, United States: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  snapshot = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/ames/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Ames, United States: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/ames/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. ACS median owner-occupied home value api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  2. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  3. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  7. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  8. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  9. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
  10. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
Show 14 more sources
  1. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  2. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  3. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00130200 (AMES 8 WSW) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  5. NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00130203 (AMES 5 SE) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  6. NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00094989 (AMES MUNI AP) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  7. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  10. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  11. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
  12. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  13. Numbeo - Cost of Living in Ames (Wayback Machine capture 20260120211010) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31
  14. Numbeo — Cost of Living in Ames (Wayback capture 20250524064844) Numbeo · web.archive.org · checked 2026-08-01

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