Population

Ames

66,112

Tamarac

71,887

Median Income

Ames

$60,102

Tamarac

$59,216

Home Value

Ames

$263,800

Tamarac

$259,100

Rent

Ames

$1,040

Tamarac

$1,791

Crime Rate

Ames

1.48

Tamarac

2.17

Cost of Living

Ames

104.8

Tamarac

121.2

Avg Temp

Ames

N/A

Tamarac

N/A

Unemployment

Ames

6.4%

Tamarac

6.5%

Loading map…

How Similar Are Ames & Tamarac?

Tamarac is Ames's #4 most similar city

6/10

6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Ames

66,112

vs

Tamarac

71,887

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar populations — Ames at 66,112 and Tamarac at 71,887.

Violent Crime

Ames

1.48

vs

Tamarac

2.17

Different · 32% difference
🚨

Tamarac has a 32% higher violent crime than Ames.

Property Crime

🔒

Ames

15.06

vs

Tamarac

14.97

Match · 1% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 1% difference.

Political Leaning

Ames

44.0%

vs

Tamarac

41.0%

Match · 7% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 7% difference.

Unemployment

💼

Ames

6.4%

vs

Tamarac

6.5%

Match · 2% difference

Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 2% difference.

Median Income

Ames

$60,102

vs

Tamarac

$59,216

Match · 1% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 1% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Ames

$263,800

vs

Tamarac

$259,100

Match · 2% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 2% difference.

Education

Ames

29.0%

vs

Tamarac

21.4%

Different · 26% difference
🎓

Ames has a 26% higher education than Tamarac.

Demographics

🌍

Ames

79.0%

vs

Tamarac

39.1%

Different · 50% difference

Ames has a 50% higher demographics than Tamarac.

Cost of Living

Ames

104.8

vs

Tamarac

121.2

Different · 14% difference
💵

Tamarac has a 14% higher cost of living than Ames.

6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Ames and Tamarac share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Ames

vsof 8

0

Tamarac

Ames leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Ames leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Ames has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,153 vs $2,333 in Tamarac (51% lower). Ames has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,026 vs $1,900 in Tamarac (46% lower). Ames scores 129.6 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 168.8 in Tamarac.

Overall Cost Index

Ames104.8
Tamarac121.2

Housing Index

Ames129.6
Tamarac168.8

Food Index

Ames95.9
Tamarac95.3

Transportation Index

Ames75.1
Tamarac90.5

Healthcare Index

Ames96.8
Tamarac96.2

Utilities Index

Ames103.5
Tamarac110.9

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Ames$46,118
Tamarac$53,337

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Ames$109,005
Tamarac$126,069

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Ames$1,026
Tamarac$1,900

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Ames$1,153
Tamarac$2,333

Housing Market

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Tamarac has a median property tax of $2,497 vs $3,838 in Ames (54% lower). Tamarac has a owner-occupied of 76.3% compared to 42.9% in Ames. Ames has a median rent of $1,040 vs $1,791 in Tamarac (42% lower).

Median Home Value

Ames$263,800
Tamarac$259,100

Median Rent

Ames$1,040
Tamarac$1,791

Median Property Tax

Ames$3,838
Tamarac$2,497

Owner-Occupied

Ames42.9%
Tamarac76.3%

Vacancy Rate

Ames8.2%
Tamarac8.9%

Single-Family Homes

Ames46.6%
Tamarac51.5%

Jobs & Economy

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Tamarac has a poverty rate of 12.9% compared to 25.9% in Ames. Tamarac has a government sector of 43.5% compared to 34.8% in Ames. Tamarac has a private sector of 91.4% compared to 84.0% in Ames.

Median Household Income

Ames$60,102
Tamarac$59,216

Per Capita Income

Ames$33,314
Tamarac$35,666

Poverty Rate

Ames25.9%
Tamarac12.9%

Unemployment Rate

Ames6.4%
Tamarac6.5%

Labor Force

Ames38,289
Tamarac37,793

Mean Commute

Ames14 min
TamaracN/A

Work from Home

Ames11.3%
Tamarac11.3%

Private Sector

Ames84.0%
Tamarac91.4%

Government Sector

Ames34.8%
Tamarac43.5%

Crime & Safety — Ames leads

Source: FBI UCR

Ames has a property crime clearance of 22.0% compared to 10.6% in Tamarac. Ames has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.00 compared to 0.04 in Tamarac. Ames has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.08 compared to 0.39 in Tamarac.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Ames1.48
Tamarac2.17

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Ames15.06
Tamarac14.97

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Ames0.00
Tamarac0.04

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Ames0.08
Tamarac0.39

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Ames0.70
Tamarac1.44

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Ames1.73
Tamarac1.17

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Ames12.44
Tamarac11.69

Violent Crime Clearance

Ames32.0%
Tamarac52.1%

Property Crime Clearance

Ames22.0%
Tamarac10.6%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

AmesN/A
TamaracN/A

Avg Annual High

AmesN/A
TamaracN/A

Avg Annual Low

AmesN/A
TamaracN/A

Sunny Days per Year

AmesN/A
TamaracN/A

Annual Rainfall

AmesN/A
TamaracN/A

Annual Snowfall

AmesN/A
TamaracN/A

Avg Humidity

AmesN/A
TamaracN/A

Schools & Education

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Ames has a bachelor's degree or higher of 29.0% compared to 21.4% in Tamarac. Tamarac has a high school diploma or higher of 44.2% compared to 34.2% in Ames.

Public Schools

Ames0
Tamarac0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

AmesN/A
TamaracN/A

Colleges & Universities

Ames0
Tamarac0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Ames29.0%
Tamarac21.4%

High School Diploma or Higher

Ames34.2%
Tamarac44.2%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Tamarac has a population of 71,887, about 1.1x the size of Ames (66,112). Ames skews younger with a median age of 23.3 vs 47.5.

Population

Ames66,112
Tamarac71,887

Median Age

Ames23
Tamarac48

Avg Household Size

Ames2.1
Tamarac2.3

Married Population

Ames26.4%
Tamarac37.8%

Foreign Born

Ames10.9%
Tamarac37.9%

White

Ames79.0%
Tamarac39.1%

Black

Ames3.7%
Tamarac34.3%

Hispanic

Ames4.9%
Tamarac31.5%

Asian

Ames9.4%
Tamarac2.7%

Ames

Tamarac

Healthcare — Ames leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Ames: 4.0 vs Tamarac: 1.6 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Ames: 5 vs Tamarac: 4 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Ames5
Tamarac5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Ames4.0
Tamarac1.6

With Emergency Services

Ames5
Tamarac4

Transportation & Commute — Ames leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Ames has a bicycle of 1.6% compared to 0.2% in Tamarac. Ames has a public transit of 5.8% compared to 1.7% in Tamarac. Tamarac has a drive alone of 74.7% compared to 65.3% in Ames.

Mean Commute Time

Ames14 min
TamaracN/A

Drive Alone

Ames65.3%
Tamarac74.7%

Public Transit

Ames5.8%
Tamarac1.7%

Bicycle

Ames1.6%
Tamarac0.2%

Work from Home

Ames11.3%
Tamarac11.3%

Airports

Ames0
Tamarac0

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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