Housing and tax tradeoff: Ames, Iowa
Ames, Iowa comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Ames vs Chicago on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 2 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
AmesChicago
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Ames, Iowa
Ames, Iowa is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on affordability, weaker on climate comfort.
Potential dealbreaker: Chicago, Illinois
Chicago, Illinois needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on rent burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 65,060 | 2,664,452 |
| Population Density | N/A | 12.0k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 942 ft(287 m) | 587 ft(179 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $266,556 | $304,487 |
| Median Rent | $1,194 | $2,191 |
| Median Income | $57,428 | $71,673 |
| Rent Burden | 25% | 37% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 301 days/yr | 280 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 60°F | 59°F |
| Avg. Low | 42°F | 44°F |
| Comfort Score | 46/100Mixed | 47/100Mixed |
| Temp Swing | 55°F | 48°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 34"(86 cm) | 44"(112 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 25"(64 cm) | 28"(71 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 392024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100 | Typical: 442024 modeled avg · 19 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walkability | N/A | 77 |
| Transit Score | N/A | 65 |
| Safety Score | 77 / 100 | 30 / 100 |
| School Rating | 6.8/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | N/A | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | N/A | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 80%Cable: 92% | Fiber: 33%Cable: 99% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 23 years | 35.3 years |
| College Educated | 63% | 42% |
| Remote Workers | 10% | 16% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner. | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Ames | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Chicago |
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