Ames, IA vs Upper Arlington, 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

Upper Arlington

77.3

#262 nationally

Upper Arlington leads in crime level (0.8 vs 4.1). Upper Arlington leads in median household income ($144,705 vs $57,428). Ames leads in cost of living index (100 vs 131).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Ames, IA	Upper Arlington, OH
WhereAtHome Score	76.2 (#367)	77.3 (#262)
Population	65,686	35,743
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$306,337	$650,170
Median Household Income	$57,428	$144,705
Average Commute	15.8 min	19.3 min
Walk Score	42	45
Crime Level	4.1	0.8
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	100	131
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+10.4	D+28.4