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Cost & Benefits

Cost of living in Ames, Iowa

Simple answer

Typical rent is $1,023 a month.

Ames is a city in Iowa. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $60,991 a year.

Is Ames affordable?See benefits in Ames
People
67,669
Census average, 2020–2024
Typical rent
$1,023
Median gross rent, includes utilities
Typical pay
$60,991
Median household income, yearly
Typical home
$277,400
Median home value
2-bedroom fair rent
$1,061
Ames, IA HUD Metro FMR Area

Ames, Iowa has about 67,669 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $277,400.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Story County is $1,061 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Ames. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

In the Ames, IA metro area, prices sit at 88.8 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.

Iowa taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 6.9% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Ames's exact store tax.

Some places in Iowa add a local wage tax. In 2023 the state average was about 0.08% of income. That is not a Ames bill.

In July 2026, a typical Iowa home paid 15.99¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Ames's bill.

EIA did not publish a 2025 all-grades gas price for Iowa in the table we use.

Among 264 places we list in Iowa with a rent figure, 49 have higher typical rent than Ames.

Nearby places

EBT nearby

USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.

Find SNAP stores near AmesWhat EBT can buy in Iowa

Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.

Food stamps (SNAP) tools in Iowa

Bigger places in Iowa

Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.