CITY PROFILE
Ames, IA
WHAT LIVING HERE IS LIKE
Ames, Iowa is a smaller metro with moderately priced homes, making it accessible without the cost burden of larger urban centers. Expect a temperate four-season climate with moderate sunshine and moderate rainfall throughout the year—you'll see real winters and summers, with decent but not abundant sunny days. If you're drawn to a quieter, more compact community rather than a sprawling metro, and weather variability doesn't deter you, this is worth considering.
By the numbers
| Typical home value | $280K · Zillow, May 2026 (ZHVI) |
|---|---|
| Typical rent | $1,024/mo · Zillow, May 2026 (ZORI) |
| Average temperature | 9.6°C · warmest 24.3°C · coolest -6.4°C · NASA POWER |
| Annual precipitation | 866 mm · NASA POWER |
| Sunshine (solar energy) | 4.03 kWh/m²/day · NASA POWER (annual mean) |
| Metro size rank (US) | #336 · Zillow SizeRank |
Match scores
- Affordable to buy88
- Affordable to rent93
- Climate comfort39
- Plenty of sunshine43
- Big-city amenities18
Scores are 0–100, normalised across the metros we cover, derived from the sourced figures above (higher = better on that factor). A research aid, not a recommendation to move. Job market, safety, and healthcare access need key-gated feeds (BLS, FBI, Census) not yet wired — see the methodology.
Where to look next
Similar home prices
