Ames, IA vs Stow, OH

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

Stow

78.5

#178 nationally

Ames leads in walk score (42 vs 22). Ames leads in average commute (15.8 min vs 25.4 min). Stow leads in median household income ($89,805 vs $57,428).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Ames, IA	Stow, OH
WhereAtHome Score	76.2 (#367)	78.5 (#178)
Population	65,686	33,957
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$306,337	$292,715
Median Household Income	$57,428	$89,805
Average Commute	15.8 min	25.4 min
Walk Score	42	22
Crime Level	4.1	3.2
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	100	100
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+10.4	D+7.0