Ames, IA vs Austin, TX

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Ames

76.2

#367 nationally

Austin

68.3

#1322 nationally

Ames leads in average commute (15.8 min vs 26.8 min). Austin leads in median household income ($91,461 vs $57,428). Ames leads in cost of living index (100 vs 129).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Ames, IA	Austin, TX
WhereAtHome Score	76.2 (#367)	68.3 (#1322)
Population	65,686	967,862
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$306,337	$504,148
Median Household Income	$57,428	$91,461
Average Commute	15.8 min	26.8 min
Walk Score	42	42
Crime Level	4.1	Moderate
School Rating	N/A	7.2
Cost of Living Index	100	129
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+10.4	D+39.3