Moving to Ames, Iowa

About Ames, Iowa
Ames

Ames () is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Des Moines in central Iowa. It is best known as the home of Iowa State University (ISU), with leading agriculture, design, engineering, and veterinary medicine colleges. A United States Department of Energy national laboratory, Ames Laboratory, is located on the ISU campus.

According to the 2020 census, Ames had a population of 66,427, making it the state's ninth most populous city. Iowa State University was home to 30,177 students as of Fall 2023, which make up approximately one half of the city's population.

Ames also hosts United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sites: the largest federal animal disease center in the United States, the USDA Agricultural Research Service's National Animal Disease Center (NADC), as well as one of two national USDA sites for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which comprises the National Veterinary Services Laboratory and the Center for Veterinary Biologics. Ames also hosts the headquarters of the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Gender
Gender Ames Iowa Country
Female 46.4% 50.3% 50.8%
Male 53.6% 49.7% 49.2%
Gender

Household Income


Income Ames Iowa Country
Less than $10,000 12.2% 5.1% 5.8%
$10,000 to $14,999 5.3% 4% 4.1%
$15,000 to $24,999 9.2% 8.6% 8.5%
$25,000 to $34,999 10% 9.3% 8.6%
$35,000 to $49,999 12.6% 13.1% 12.0%
$50,000 to $74,999 17.7% 19.1% 17.2%
$75,000 to $99,999 10.5% 14.3% 12.8%
$100,000 to $149,999 13.2% 15.9% 15.6%
$150,000 to $199,999 4.8% 5.6% 7.1%
$200,000 or more 4.5% 5% 8.3%
Education


Education Ames Iowa Country
< 9th Grade 0% 1% 5.0%
9-12th Grade 2% 5% 7.0%
High School or GED 13% 31% 27.0%
Other College 15% 21% 20.0%
Associate's Degree 8% 12% 9%
Bachelor's Degree 32% 20% 20.0%
Master's Degree 18% 7% 9.0%
Professional Degree 2% 2% 2.0%
Doctorate Degree 10% 1% 1.0%
Household Income
Education
Race / Ethnicity


Ethnicity Ames Iowa Country
White 78.1% 85% 60.1%
African American 3% 3.6% 12.2%
American Indian 0.1% 0.3% 0.6%
Asian 11.4% 2.5% 5.6%
Hawaiian 0% 0.1% 0.2%
Other 0.1% 0.1% 0.3%
Multiracial 3.4% 2.2% 2.8%
Hispanic 3.9% 6.2% 18.2%
Race / Ethnicity