Residential comparison · 13 facts
Ames, IA vs Waterloo, IA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Ames needs about $80,500 in Waterloo to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Waterloo, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $89,500 in Ames.
A few differences
- Ames is higher on median household income ($60,991 vs $57,480).
- Waterloo is lower on cost of living index (75 vs 84).
- Waterloo is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($948/mo vs $1,030/mo).
Ames vs Waterloo · facet by facet
| Facet | Ames, IA | Waterloo, IA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $277,400 | $152,600 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,030/mo | $948/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| State & local income tax | 5.3% | 5.3% |
| Sales tax | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Cost of living index | 84 | 75 |
| Groceries index | 94 | 94 |
| Utilities | $150/mo | $150/mo |
| Median household income | $60,991 | $57,480 |
| Unemployment rate | 3% | 3% |
| Crime index | 38/100 | 38/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 200 days | 200 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Ames, IA · Waterloo, IA
Questions & answers
- Is Ames cheaper than Waterloo?
- Waterloo has the lower day-to-day cost index (75 vs 84 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Waterloo equals $85,000 in Ames?
- A household earning $85,000 in Ames needs about $80,500 in Waterloo to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Waterloo lifestyle costs about $89,500 in Ames.