HEAD TO HEAD
Ames vs San Antonio
San Antonio leads Ames on 3 of 5 factors — but the right pick depends on your priorities.
Ames, IA
wins 1 of 5 factors
San Antonio, TX
wins 3 of 5 factors
Match scores, side by side
| Factor | Ames | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Affordable to buy | 88 | 88 |
| Affordable to rent | 93 ◆ | 80 |
| Climate comfort | 39 | 98 ◆ |
| Plenty of sunshine | 43 | 67 ◆ |
| Big-city amenities | 18 | 94 ◆ |
By the numbers
| Figure | Ames | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $280K | $280K |
| Typical rent | $1,024/mo | $1,404/mo |
| Average temperature | 9.6°C | 20.6°C |
| Sunshine (solar energy) | 4.03 kWh/m²/day | 4.84 kWh/m²/day |
| Metro size rank (US) | #336 | #24 |
Home & rent Zillow, May 2026 · climate & sunshine NASA POWER climatology. Scores are normalised 0–100 across all metros; higher is better. A research aid, not advice.