Population

Ames

66,112

Manhattan

53,951

Median Income

Ames

$60,102

Manhattan

$58,441

Home Value

Ames

$263,800

Manhattan

$243,700

Rent

Ames

$1,040

Manhattan

$1,019

Crime Rate

Ames

1.48

Manhattan

N/A

Cost of Living

Ames

104.8

Manhattan

102.1

Avg Temp

Ames

N/A

Manhattan

N/A

Unemployment

Ames

6.4%

Manhattan

4.4%

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How Similar Are Ames & Manhattan?

Manhattan is Ames's #13 most similar city

5/8

5 of 8 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Ames

66,112

vs

Manhattan

53,951

Different · 18% difference

Ames has a 18% larger population than Manhattan.

Political Leaning

Ames

44.0%

vs

Manhattan

72.8%

Different · 40% difference
🗳️

Ames leans Democratic while Manhattan leans Republican.

Unemployment

💼

Ames

6.4%

vs

Manhattan

4.4%

Different · 32% difference

Ames has a 32% higher unemployment than Manhattan.

Median Income

Ames

$60,102

vs

Manhattan

$58,441

Match · 3% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 3% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Ames

$263,800

vs

Manhattan

$243,700

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 8% difference.

Education

Ames

29.0%

vs

Manhattan

26.4%

Match · 9% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 9% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Ames

79.0%

vs

Manhattan

78.8%

Match · 0% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 0% difference.

Cost of Living

Ames

104.8

vs

Manhattan

102.1

Match · 3% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 3% difference.

5 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Ames and Manhattan share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Ames

vsof 8

0

Manhattan

Ames leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Manhattan leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Manhattan has a fair market rent (1br) of $875 vs $1,026 in Ames (17% lower). Manhattan has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,068 vs $1,153 in Ames (8% lower). Manhattan scores 124.0 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 129.6 in Ames.

Overall Cost Index

Ames104.8
Manhattan102.1

Housing Index

Ames129.6
Manhattan124.0

Food Index

Ames95.9
Manhattan94.7

Transportation Index

Ames75.1
Manhattan76.0

Healthcare Index

Ames96.8
Manhattan95.7

Utilities Index

Ames103.5
Manhattan101.6

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Ames$46,118
Manhattan$44,945

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Ames$109,005
Manhattan$106,234

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Ames$1,026
Manhattan$875

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Ames$1,153
Manhattan$1,068

Housing Market

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Ames has a vacancy rate of 8.2% compared to 10.9% in Manhattan. Manhattan has a single-family homes of 53.2% compared to 46.6% in Ames. Ames has a median home value of $263,800 vs $243,700 in Manhattan (8% higher).

Median Home Value

Ames$263,800
Manhattan$243,700

Median Rent

Ames$1,040
Manhattan$1,019

Median Property Tax

Ames$3,838
Manhattan$3,672

Owner-Occupied

Ames42.9%
Manhattan41.3%

Vacancy Rate

Ames8.2%
Manhattan10.9%

Single-Family Homes

Ames46.6%
Manhattan53.2%

Jobs & Economy — Ames leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Manhattan has a unemployment rate of 4.4% compared to 6.4% in Ames. Ames: 38,289 vs Manhattan: 32,176 for labor force. Manhattan has a work from home of 12.3% compared to 11.3% in Ames.

Median Household Income

Ames$60,102
Manhattan$58,441

Per Capita Income

Ames$33,314
Manhattan$34,520

Poverty Rate

Ames25.9%
Manhattan26.1%

Unemployment Rate

Ames6.4%
Manhattan4.4%

Labor Force

Ames38,289
Manhattan32,176

Mean Commute

Ames14 min
Manhattan15 min

Work from Home

Ames11.3%
Manhattan12.3%

Private Sector

Ames84.0%
Manhattan83.6%

Government Sector

Ames34.8%
Manhattan34.2%

Crime & Safety

Source: FBI UCR

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Ames1.48
ManhattanN/A

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Ames15.06
ManhattanN/A

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Ames0.00
ManhattanN/A

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Ames0.08
ManhattanN/A

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Ames0.70
ManhattanN/A

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Ames1.73
ManhattanN/A

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Ames12.44
ManhattanN/A

Violent Crime Clearance

Ames32.0%
ManhattanN/A

Property Crime Clearance

Ames22.0%
ManhattanN/A

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

AmesN/A
ManhattanN/A

Avg Annual High

AmesN/A
ManhattanN/A

Avg Annual Low

AmesN/A
ManhattanN/A

Sunny Days per Year

AmesN/A
ManhattanN/A

Annual Rainfall

AmesN/A
ManhattanN/A

Annual Snowfall

AmesN/A
ManhattanN/A

Avg Humidity

AmesN/A
ManhattanN/A

Schools & Education — Ames leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Ames has a bachelor's degree or higher of 29.0% compared to 26.4% in Manhattan. Ames has a high school diploma or higher of 34.2% compared to 33.4% in Manhattan.

Public Schools

Ames0
Manhattan0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

AmesN/A
ManhattanN/A

Colleges & Universities

Ames0
Manhattan0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Ames29.0%
Manhattan26.4%

High School Diploma or Higher

Ames34.2%
Manhattan33.4%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Ames has a population of 66,112, about 1.2x the size of Manhattan (53,951). Ames skews younger with a median age of 23.3 vs 25.2.

Population

Ames66,112
Manhattan53,951

Median Age

Ames23
Manhattan25

Avg Household Size

Ames2.1
Manhattan2.2

Married Population

Ames26.4%
Manhattan30.1%

Foreign Born

Ames10.9%
Manhattan7.6%

White

Ames79.0%
Manhattan78.8%

Black

Ames3.7%
Manhattan4.5%

Hispanic

Ames4.9%
Manhattan9.3%

Asian

Ames9.4%
Manhattan4.3%

Ames

Manhattan

Healthcare — Ames leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Ames: 5 vs Manhattan: 4 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Ames5
Manhattan5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Ames4.0
Manhattan4.0

With Emergency Services

Ames5
Manhattan4

Transportation & Commute — Ames leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Ames has a public transit of 5.8% compared to 0.2% in Manhattan. Ames has a bicycle of 1.6% compared to 1.1% in Manhattan. Manhattan has a work from home of 12.3% compared to 11.3% in Ames.

Mean Commute Time

Ames14 min
Manhattan15 min

Drive Alone

Ames65.3%
Manhattan68.5%

Public Transit

Ames5.8%
Manhattan0.2%

Bicycle

Ames1.6%
Manhattan1.1%

Work from Home

Ames11.3%
Manhattan12.3%

Airports

Ames0
Manhattan0

Cities Similar to Ames, IA

Compare Ames against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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