Ames is a city in Story County, Iowa, home to about 67,669 people across 28 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 50010, 50012, 50013 and 50014, and parts of 50201 are in Ames too.
Homes sold for a median of $200 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.
All in Ames
All in Ames
Mostly Nevada; part is in Ames
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Ames. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Ames’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)35 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE136 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL305 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Ames; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Ames had 66,427 residents in the 2020 census, up 31% since 2000.
It’s the 8th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Story County grew from 23,159 residents in 1900 to 98,537 in 2020.
Story County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 11°F. About 36.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ames Muni Ap, IA weather station (3 miles away).
33,500 jobs at 2,162 businesses in Story County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
834 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Ames’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 73 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 196 |
| Dentists | 50 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 100 |
| Mental health providers | 250 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 110 |
| Optometrists | 14 |
| Chiropractors | 41 |
| Pharmacies | 12 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (52 nearby)
Grocery stores (13 nearby)
Pharmacies (4 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (3 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (5 nearby)
Counts are within about 3.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1864.
Colleges and universities
Sports teams
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Ames Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwood Pre-SchoolAmes | Pre-K | 244 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Edwards Elementary SchoolAmes | K–5 | 436 | Public | 3.6 mi |
| Fellows Elementary SchoolAmes | K–5 | 489 | Public | 0.3 mi |
| Meeker Elementary SchoolAmes | K–5 | 361 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Mitchell Elementary SchoolAmes | K–5 | 314 | Public | 3.6 mi |
| Sawyer Elementary SchoolAmes | K–5 | 371 | Public | 2.8 mi |
| Ames Middle SchoolAmes | 6–8 | 1,033 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| Ames High SchoolAmes | 9–12 | 1,440 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Cecilia Elementary SchoolAmes | Pre-K–6 | 115 | Roman Catholic | 0.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Nevada.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.