What percentage of people rent in Ames, IA?

Name: Renters and owners in Ames, IA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

57.9% (±1.8 points) of the occupied homes in Ames, IA are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 14,934 renting households against 10,851 that own their home.

In Ames, the share of households that rent went from 59.3% in 2015–2019 to 57.9% in 2020–2024 (−1.4 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 57.9% (±1.8 points)
Renting households: 14,934 (±632)
Median renter income: $40,886 (±$3,249)

Who rents and who owns in Ames

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Ames	Story County	Iowa	United States
Renter-occupied share	57.9% (±1.8 points)	44.5% (±1.6 points)	28.3% (±0.3 points)	34.8%
Renting households	14,934 (±632)	17,305 (±699)	372,311 (±3,635)	45,017,354
Owning households	10,851 (±465)	21,599 (±616)	943,396 (±5,414)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.0 (±0.1)	2.0 (±0.1)	2.0 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.3 (±0.1)	2.4 (±0.0)	2.5 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$40,886 (±$3,249)	$42,674 (±$2,844)	$43,297 (±$758)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$110,174 (±$12,188)	$105,197 (±$5,472)	$91,638 (±$512)	$100,009

In Ames, the renter share is higher than in Story County (44.5%).

It is also higher than in Iowa (28.3%).

It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).

In Story County, Ames ranks 1 of 15 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.

Statewide, it ranks 3 of 943.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in Ames has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	59.3% (±1.8 points)	57.9% (±1.8 points)	−1.4 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$930 (±$19)	$1,023 (±$38)	+10.0%	Down after inflation
Median household income	$48,105 (±$2,253)	$60,991 (±$1,892)	+26.8%	No measurable change after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near Ames

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Ames
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
Ames	—	57.9% (±1.8 points)	—
Gilbert	5.7 mi	13.2% (±5.3 points)	Lower
Kelley	5.7 mi	51.5% (±21.6 points)	Not measurably different
Nevada	7.8 mi	28.1% (±5.6 points)	Lower
Huxley	9.1 mi	19.3% (±6.4 points)	Lower
Cambridge	9.6 mi	17.0% (±9.6 points)	Lower
Slater	11 mi	16.3% (±5.8 points)	Lower
Luther	11 mi	8.8% (±11.2 points)	Lower
Story City	11 mi	21.2% (±8.4 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Gilbert, IA (13.2%), Nevada, IA (28.1%), Huxley, IA (19.3%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Households that rent across Story County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that rent
1	Ames	57.9% (±1.8 points)
2	Kelley	51.5% (±21.6 points)
3	McCallsburg	30.0% (±19.4 points)
4	Nevada	28.1% (±5.6 points)
5	Collins	24.8% (±11.4 points)
6	Story City	21.2% (±8.4 points)
7	Huxley	19.3% (±6.4 points)

Showing 7 of 15 places in Story County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Ames

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Ames, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Ames beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Ames, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Ames

How many renters are there in Ames?

Ames has an estimated 14,934 (±632) renting households, 57.9% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in Ames?

In Ames, the share of households that rent went from 59.3% in 2015–2019 to 57.9% in 2020–2024 (−1.4 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How big are renting households in Ames?

A renting household in Ames has 2.0 people on average, against 2.3 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in Ames?

The median renting household in Ames, IA has an income of $40,886 (±$3,249) a year, against $110,174 for households that own their home.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for Ames city, Iowa (place:01855, in state:19).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.