Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety94#52/924
Economy71#270/925
Housing35#601/925
Health97#27/925
Healthcare87#125/923
Environment73#249/917
Education99#11/925
Infrastructure66#317/925
Community93#70/925
Leisure & amenities48#480/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Ames, IA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Flu vaccinations · high64.3%
100/100Iowa 51.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
High school diploma or higher · high96.8%
99/100Iowa 93.3%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Mammography screening · high62.1%
99/100Iowa 57.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Some college · high82.8%
99/100Iowa 70.3%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · low0%
99/100Iowa 13%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · low6.3 /100k
98/100Iowa 11.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Broadband subscriptions · low82.3%
8/100Iowa 88.8%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
New business applications · low8.1 /1k
10/100Iowa 10.8 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Job growth · low-2.2%
13/100Iowa -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Effective property tax rate · high1.34%
15/100Iowa 1.33%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Comfortable days · low23.8%
21/100Iowa 24.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high69 mi
29/100Iowa 60 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
51% (2021) → 0% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−51 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
23.4% (Dec 2021) → 32.1% (Aug 2026)
+8.7 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Violent crime rateImproving
172 /100k (2020) → 102 /100k (2025)
−41%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k
Gyms and fitness centersWorsening
1.7 /10k (2020) → 1.0 /10k (2025)
−39%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$45,923 (2019) → $63,989 (2024)
+39%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204
Homicide rateWorsening
1.8 /100k (2021) → 2.5 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+37%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Ames, IA metro area improved on 14 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 8. 5 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Suicides−37%20.1 /100k → 12.7 /100k
Rent / income−2.8 points31.7% → 28.9%
Real income+39%$45,923 → $63,989
Rent burden−5.1 points52.4% → 47.4%
Violent crime−41%172 /100k → 102 /100k

Declined8

Transit use−1.8 points5.0% → 3.2%
Firearm deaths+45%6.8 /100k → 9.9 /100k
Arts & recreation−20%5.1 /10k → 4.1 /10k
Homicides+31%1.9 /100k → 2.5 /100k
Gyms−39%1.7 /10k → 1.0 /10k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Ames, IA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.1 /10k2020	4.1 /10k2025	−20%	Declined	6%
Average commute time	19.0 min2015-2019	18.8 min2020-2024	−0.2 min	Within the margin of error	71%
Bachelor's degree or higher	44.6%2015-2019	47.9%2020-2024	+3.3 points	Improved	62%
Broadband subscriptions	78.7%2015-2019	82.3%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Improved	3%
Child poverty rate	9.0%2015-2019	9.1%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Distance to an airport	35 mi2020	35 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	82%
Drug overdose deaths	7.7 /100k2020	6.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−12%	Improved	37%
Effective property tax rate	1.51%2015-2019	1.34%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	62%
Firearm deaths	6.8 /100k2020	9.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+45%	Declined	11%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−16%	Declined	15%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.7 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−39%	Declined	7%
High school diploma or higher	96.3%2015-2019	96.8%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	49%
Homicide rate	1.9 /100k2020	2.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+31%	Declined	8%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,9232019	$63,9892024	+39%	Improved	88%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4532015-2019	0.4552020-2024	+0.002	Within the margin of error	49%
Median household income	$58,6002015-2019	$73,1272020-2024	+25%	Improved	37%
New business applications	6.7 /1k2020	8.1 /1k2025	+22%	Improved	18%
Pharmacies	1.7 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	−11%	Declined	42%
Poverty rate	17.9%2015-2019	15.5%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Improved	79%
Property crime rate	1,394 /100k2020	1,035 /100k2025	−26%	Improved	33%
Public libraries	1.3 /10k2019	1.2 /10k2024	−3.4%	Little change	34%
Public transit commuters	5.0%2015-2019	3.2%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Declined	7%
Rent as share of income	31.7%2015-2019	28.9%2020-2024	−2.8 points	Improved	92%
Rent-burdened households	52.4%2015-2019	47.4%2020-2024	−5.1 points	Improved	88%
Restaurants and bars	7.2 /10k2020	7.6 /10k2025	+5.5%	Improved	67%
Suicide rate	20.1 /100k2020	12.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−37%	Improved	96%
Traffic deaths	6.1 /100k2015-2019	6.3 /100k2020-2024	+2.3%	Little change	58%
Unemployment rate	3.9%2020	2.9%2025	−1 points	Improved	5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.7%2015-2019	4.6%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Violent crime rate	172 /100k2020	102 /100k2025	−41%	Improved	89%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Ames, IA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ames, IA metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Ames, IA metro area itself moved −0.6 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

127,134 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

49,840 households (±566)

Ames, IA metro area
United States share

Under $25k16%7,727
$25k–50k18%9,171
$50k–75k17%8,629

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

49,840 households (±566)

Ames, IA metro area
United States share

Own61%30,348
Rent39%19,492

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.9 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

67,340 workers (±1,182)

Ames, IA metro area
United States share

Drive alone71%47,548
Carpool7.0%4,714
Public transit3.2%2,147

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Ames, IA employ 11,360 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Ames, IA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,620 jobs	1,620	$29,220US $31,200	−6%	1.17×
Cashiers1,470 jobs	1,470	$29,230US $32,880	−11%	1.33×
Retail Salespersons1,460 jobs	1,460	$32,460US $35,410	−8%	1.04×
Stockers and Order Fillers1,110 jobs	1,110	$36,240US $37,330	−3%	1.09×
Registered Nurses1,070 jobs	1,070	$77,160US $97,550	−21%	0.88×
General and Operations Managers1,040 jobs	1,040	$97,700US $105,770	−8%	0.82×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners1,030 jobs	1,030	$35,300US $36,840	−4%	1.29×
Waiters and Waitresses1,010 jobs	1,010	$22,710US $35,230	−36%	1.24×
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary780 jobs	780	$30,420US $36,780	−17%	1.52×
Nursing Assistants770 jobs	770	$43,540US $42,260	+3%	1.47×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Ames, IA.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Ames, IA has 2,765 employer establishments, 217 for every 10,000 residents (0.87× the US rate of 248), with 39,997 paid employees at an average annual pay of $54,986. The Census Bureau also counts 8,088 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,765; 8,088 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 217; US 248
Paid employees: 39,997
Average annual pay: $54,986; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Ames, IA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	204	16	0.87×About typical	4,252	$18,368	17
Ambulatory health care services	187	14.7	0.70×Fewer than typical	2,120	$89,410	197
Specialty trade contractors	181	14.2	0.92×About typical	1,885	$66,253	513
Lessors of real estate	158	12.4	1.01×About typical	561	$52,681	1,126
Construction of buildings	102	8	1.06×About typical	764	$73,308	222
Religious organizations	97	7.6	1.37×More than typical	642	$27,745	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	91	7.1	1.06×About typical	640	$39,992	415
Limited-service restaurants	89	7	0.87×About typical	1,674	$18,349	3
Offices of other health practitioners	88	6.9	1.14×About typical	393	$51,407	114
Building equipment contractors	83	6.5	1.08×About typical	839	$64,374	101
Full-service restaurants	74	5.8	0.76×Fewer than typical	2,073	$19,419	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	72	5.6	1.12×About typical	306	$48,650	98

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 127,602 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $135.7M on contracts performed in Ames, IA metro area: $1,059 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $135.7M; −13% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,059; US $1,994
Sole-source: 8.4%; US 30%
Single offer: 49%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of Energy$62.2M46%
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service$54.1M40%
Agricultural Research Service$9.6M7.1%
Agricultural Marketing Service$6.8M5.0%
Department of the Navy$1.3M0.9%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$621.6K0.5%
Federal Highway Administration$407.7K0.3%
Forest Service$321.3K0.2%

Top recipients

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY$63.2M47%
DEAN SNYDER CONSTRUCTION CO.$32.9M24%
JTM PROVISIONS CO INC$3.3M2.4%
VMRD INC$3.1M2.3%
MERUS LLC$2.1M1.6%
BBA CONSTRUCTION LLC$2.1M1.6%
LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION$1.9M1.4%
DEFENSE CONTRACTING ACTIVITY, LLC$1.6M1.2%

Spending by fiscal year

84.4MFY2017
100.8MFY2018
90.9MFY2019
127.5MFY2020
83.5MFY2021
101.1MFY2022
129.1MFY2023
95MFY2024
155.9MFY2025
135.7MFY2026

What was bought

Facilities & utilities$64.4M47%
Construction & real property$39.4M29%
Other equipment & supplies$14.1M10%
Professional services$5.9M4.4%
Health & medical$5.4M4.0%
Equipment maintenance$2.5M1.9%

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$63.6M47%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$33.2M24%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$4.9M3.6%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$4.8M3.6%
Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing · 3118$3.5M2.6%
Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing · 3254$3.5M2.6%
Animal slaughtering and processing · 3116$3.3M2.4%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$2.9M2.1%

Largest awards

MULTI-PROGRAM NATIONAL PHYSICAL RESEARCH INCLUDING RARE EARTHS AND USE OF AMES MPC.$1.2B
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY· Story County, IA· Facilities & utilities· Oct 19, 2016 – Sep 29, 2026· DEAC0207CH11358
CONSTRUCTION OF ANIMAL AND ZOONOTIC DISEASE CENTER$32.9M
DEAN SNYDER CONSTRUCTION CO.· Story County, IA· Construction & real property· Oct 21, 2025 – Aug 19, 2026· 12639526C0001
AMES, IA SECURITY GUARD CONTRACT$7.6M
DEFENSE CONTRACTING ACTIVITY, LLC· Story County, IA· Facilities & utilities· Aug 29, 2022 – Apr 29, 2026· 12639522F0977
HANGAR RENOVATION$6.7M
AR6 CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING, LLC· Story County, IA· Construction & real property· Sep 19, 2025 – Aug 2, 2026· 12639525C0077
FIRM FIXED PRICE DELIVERY ORDER FOR FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE (FMD) ENZYME LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY (ELISA) KITS.$3.1M
VMRD INC· Story County, IA· Health & medical· Jul 9, 2026 – Jul 9, 2026· 12639526F0624
BLDG. 7 LIGHTING RENOVATION - REQUIRES COMPLETE REMOVAL AND UPGRADING OF THE EXISTING LIGHTING, LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM, INTEGRATING THE SYSTEM INTO THE JOHNSON CONTROLS INC. (JCI) METASYS BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM (BAS) AND COMMISSIONING THE NEWLY$2.1M
BBA CONSTRUCTION LLC· Story County, IA· Construction & real property· Sep 8, 2026 – Sep 8, 2026· 1232SA26P0674

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $779.8M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Ames, IA metro area: $6,088 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $779.8M; −5.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,088; US $12,955
Loan face value: $36.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$444.8M57%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$42.9M5.5%

Counties in Ames, IA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

AmesPrincipal city67,669

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Iowa

Areas based in Iowa, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M11180

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined8

Metro and micro areas like Ames, IA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Counties in Ames, IA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Iowa

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined8

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

By type

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation