Population

Ames

66,112

Pocatello

57,152

Median Income

Ames

$60,102

Pocatello

$57,931

Home Value

Ames

$263,800

Pocatello

$240,600

Rent

Ames

$1,040

Pocatello

$861

Crime Rate

Ames

1.48

Pocatello

3.41

Cost of Living

Ames

104.8

Pocatello

94.4

Avg Temp

Ames

N/A

Pocatello

N/A

Unemployment

Ames

6.4%

Pocatello

5.0%

Loading map…

How Similar Are Ames & Pocatello?

Pocatello is Ames's #24 most similar city

5/10

5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Ames

66,112

vs

Pocatello

57,152

Different · 14% difference

Ames has a 14% larger population than Pocatello.

Violent Crime

Ames

1.48

vs

Pocatello

3.41

Different · 57% difference
🚨

Pocatello's violent crime is significantly higher than Ames's — 57% difference.

Property Crime

🔒

Ames

15.06

vs

Pocatello

15.87

Match · 5% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 5% difference.

Political Leaning

Ames

44.0%

vs

Pocatello

71.1%

Different · 38% difference
🗳️

Ames leans Democratic while Pocatello leans Republican.

Unemployment

💼

Ames

6.4%

vs

Pocatello

5.0%

Different · 22% difference

Ames has a 22% higher unemployment than Pocatello.

Median Income

Ames

$60,102

vs

Pocatello

$57,931

Match · 4% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 4% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Ames

$263,800

vs

Pocatello

$240,600

Match · 9% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 9% difference.

Education

Ames

29.0%

vs

Pocatello

20.8%

Different · 28% difference
🎓

Ames has a 28% higher education than Pocatello.

Demographics

🌍

Ames

79.0%

vs

Pocatello

85.7%

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 8% difference.

Cost of Living

Ames

104.8

vs

Pocatello

94.4

Match · 10% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 10% difference.

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

At a Glance

0

Ames

vsof 8

0

Pocatello

Ames leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Pocatello leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Pocatello has a fair market rent (1br) of $773 vs $1,026 in Ames (33% lower). Pocatello scores 103.8 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 129.6 in Ames. Pocatello has a fair market rent (2br) of $973 vs $1,153 in Ames (18% lower).

Overall Cost Index

Ames104.8
Pocatello94.4

Housing Index

Ames129.6
Pocatello103.8

Food Index

Ames95.9
Pocatello94.3

Transportation Index

Ames75.1
Pocatello76.0

Healthcare Index

Ames96.8
Pocatello95.4

Utilities Index

Ames103.5
Pocatello97.3

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Ames$46,118
Pocatello$41,546

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Ames$109,005
Pocatello$98,200

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Ames$1,026
Pocatello$773

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Ames$1,153
Pocatello$973

Housing Market — Pocatello leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Pocatello has a median property tax of $1,852 vs $3,838 in Ames (107% lower). Pocatello has a owner-occupied of 63.1% compared to 42.9% in Ames. Pocatello has a single-family homes of 68.3% compared to 46.6% in Ames.

Median Home Value

Ames$263,800
Pocatello$240,600

Median Rent

Ames$1,040
Pocatello$861

Median Property Tax

Ames$3,838
Pocatello$1,852

Owner-Occupied

Ames42.9%
Pocatello63.1%

Vacancy Rate

Ames8.2%
Pocatello6.4%

Single-Family Homes

Ames46.6%
Pocatello68.3%

Jobs & Economy — Ames leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Pocatello has a poverty rate of 13.9% compared to 25.9% in Ames. Ames: 38,289 vs Pocatello: 27,981 for labor force. Pocatello has a unemployment rate of 5.0% compared to 6.4% in Ames.

Median Household Income

Ames$60,102
Pocatello$57,931

Per Capita Income

Ames$33,314
Pocatello$30,725

Poverty Rate

Ames25.9%
Pocatello13.9%

Unemployment Rate

Ames6.4%
Pocatello5.0%

Labor Force

Ames38,289
Pocatello27,981

Mean Commute

Ames14 min
Pocatello15 min

Work from Home

Ames11.3%
Pocatello10.3%

Private Sector

Ames84.0%
Pocatello91.1%

Government Sector

Ames34.8%
Pocatello40.9%

Crime & Safety — Ames leads

Source: FBI UCR

Ames has a assault rate (per 1k) of 0.70 compared to 2.87 in Pocatello. Pocatello has a violent crime clearance of 86.0% compared to 32.0% in Ames. Ames has a violent crime rate (per 1k) of 1.48 compared to 3.41 in Pocatello.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Ames1.48
Pocatello3.41

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Ames15.06
Pocatello15.87

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Ames0.00
Pocatello0.00

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Ames0.08
Pocatello0.15

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Ames0.70
Pocatello2.87

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Ames1.73
Pocatello2.54

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Ames12.44
Pocatello11.89

Violent Crime Clearance

Ames32.0%
Pocatello86.0%

Property Crime Clearance

Ames22.0%
Pocatello31.0%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

AmesN/A
PocatelloN/A

Avg Annual High

AmesN/A
PocatelloN/A

Avg Annual Low

AmesN/A
PocatelloN/A

Sunny Days per Year

AmesN/A
PocatelloN/A

Annual Rainfall

AmesN/A
PocatelloN/A

Annual Snowfall

AmesN/A
PocatelloN/A

Avg Humidity

AmesN/A
PocatelloN/A

Schools & Education

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Ames has a bachelor's degree or higher of 29.0% compared to 20.8% in Pocatello. Pocatello has a high school diploma or higher of 36.4% compared to 34.2% in Ames.

Public Schools

Ames0
Pocatello0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

AmesN/A
PocatelloN/A

Colleges & Universities

Ames0
Pocatello0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Ames29.0%
Pocatello20.8%

High School Diploma or Higher

Ames34.2%
Pocatello36.4%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Ames has a population of 66,112, about 1.2x the size of Pocatello (57,152). Ames skews younger with a median age of 23.3 vs 32.9.

Population

Ames66,112
Pocatello57,152

Median Age

Ames23
Pocatello33

Avg Household Size

Ames2.1
Pocatello2.4

Married Population

Ames26.4%
Pocatello37.0%

Foreign Born

Ames10.9%
Pocatello3.8%

White

Ames79.0%
Pocatello85.7%

Black

Ames3.7%
Pocatello1.4%

Hispanic

Ames4.9%
Pocatello9.2%

Asian

Ames9.4%
Pocatello2.2%

Ames

Pocatello

Healthcare — Ames leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Ames: 5 vs Pocatello: 3 for with emergency services. Ames: 4.0 vs Pocatello: 3.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Ames5
Pocatello5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Ames4.0
Pocatello3.0

With Emergency Services

Ames5
Pocatello3

Transportation & Commute — Ames leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Ames has a public transit of 5.8% compared to 1.0% in Pocatello. Ames has a bicycle of 1.6% compared to 0.9% in Pocatello. Pocatello has a drive alone of 75.7% compared to 65.3% in Ames.

Mean Commute Time

Ames14 min
Pocatello15 min

Drive Alone

Ames65.3%
Pocatello75.7%

Public Transit

Ames5.8%
Pocatello1.0%

Bicycle

Ames1.6%
Pocatello0.9%

Work from Home

Ames11.3%
Pocatello10.3%

Airports

Ames0
Pocatello0

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

Explore These Cities

Compare Different Cities