Ames is a city located in Story County Iowa. Ames has a 2024 population of 65,419. Ames is currently declining at a rate of -0.41% annually and its population has decreased by -1.61% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 66,487 in 2020.
The average household income in Ames is $77,909 with a poverty rate of 26.81%. The median age in Ames is 23 years: 23 years for males, and 23 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Ames was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 52,818 | 79.71% |
| Asian | 6,690 | 10.1% |
| Two or more races | 3,350 | 5.06% |
| Black or African American | 2,114 | 3.19% |
| Other race | 1,047 | 1.58% |
| Native American | 201 | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 45 | 0.07% |
White
Asian
Two or more races
Black or African American
Other race
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 25,140 | 2.17 | 42 | 58 |
| Non Family | 15,110 | 1.72 | 22.1 | 77.9 |
| Married | 8,006 | 2.84 | 82.1 | 17.9 |
| Female | 1,308 | 2.87 | 28.1 | 71.9 |
| Male | 716 | 2.79 | 38.8 | 61.2 |
2.76
Average Family Size
2.17
Average Household Size
42.0%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 517 | 1.76% |
| Associates Degree | 2,268 | 7.72% |
| Bachelors Degree | 9,427 | 32.11% |
| Graduate Degree | 9,002 | 30.66% |
| High School Graduate | 3,406 | 11.6% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 240 | 0.82% |
| Some College | 4,500 | 15.33% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 23,260 | 22,935 | 14,337 |
| Asian | 3,076 | 2,940 | 2,558 |
| 2+ Races | 1,077 | 1,062 | 598 |
| Black | 1,069 | 883 | 483 |
| Hispanic | 891 | 794 | 510 |
| Other Race | 447 | 430 | 219 |
| Native American | 120 | 98 | 11 |
| Islander | 28 | 28 | 20 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 83.16%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $52,759 | $59,827 | $44,676 |
| Graduate Degree | $66,400 | $73,534 | $60,012 |
| High School Graduate | $26,193 | $30,758 | $25,265 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $30,074 | $36,667 | $25,114 |
| Overall | $47,241 | $51,898 | $42,116 |
| Some College | $40,280 | $45,524 | $36,362 |
$47,241
Average Earnings
$51,898
Average Male
$42,116
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
85.51% of Ames residents speak only English, while 14.49% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Asian and Pacific Island languages, which is spoken by 7.48% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 41,562 | 10,645 | 25.61% |
| Asian | 6,399 | 2,257 | 35.27% |
| Multiple | 2,946 | 931 | 31.6% |
| Black | 1,874 | 477 | 25.45% |
| Hispanic | 1,868 | 278 | 14.88% |
| Other | 773 | 130 | 16.82% |
| Native | 158 | 62 | 39.24% |
| Islander | 45 | 12 | 26.67% |
26.81%
Overall Poverty Rate
27.69%
Male Poverty Rate
25.78%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Ames is Native, with 39.24% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Ames is Hispanic, with 14.88% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 5.13%. Among those working part-time, it was 49.65%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 33.31%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| High School | 19.31% |
| Some College | 12.07% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 11.96% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 6.07% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 72.78% |
| Female Unemployed | 70.15% |
| Female Employed | 24.19% |
| Male Employed | 18.14% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $101,500 | $127,494 |
| Households | $57,428 | $77,909 |
| Married Families | $117,237 | $-999,999,999 |
| Non Families | $36,386 | $44,031 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
28.0%
Overall Marriage Rate
26.1%
Male Marriage Rate
30.1%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
2,037
Number of Veterans
1,827
Male Veterans
210
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Second Gulf War | 824 |
| Vietnam | 584 |
| First Gulf War | 198 |
| Korea | 78 |
| World War II | 75 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 75+ | 580 |
| 18 to 34 | 513 |
| 65 to 74 | 401 |
| 35 to 54 | 371 |
| 55 to 64 | 172 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,778 | 3.73% |
| Black | 129 | 7.49% |
| 2+ Races | 88 | 3.59% |
| Hispanic | 36 | 1.8% |
| Asian | 20 | 0.34% |
| Other Race | 13 | 1.4% |
| Native American | 9 | 4.92% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
4.42%
Veteran Poverty Rate
37.3%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
65.5%
Labor Force Participation
60.8%
Employment Rate
7.1%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
53.36%
Born in Ames
88.07%
Native Born
11.93%
Foreign Born
8.24%
Non Citizen
3.7%
Naturalized
88.07% of Ames residents were born in the United States, with 53.36% having been born in Iowa. 8.24% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 64,084 | -267 | -0.41% |
| 2028 | 64,351 | -267 | -0.41% |
| 2027 | 64,618 | -267 | -0.41% |
| 2026 | 64,885 | -267 | -0.41% |
| 2025 | 65,152 | -267 | -0.41% |
| 2024 | 65,419 | -267 | -0.41% |
| 2023 | 65,686 | 104 | 0.16% |
| 2022 | 65,582 | -1,442 | -2.15% |
| 2021 | 67,024 | 537 | 0.81% |
| 2020 | 66,487 | -18 | -0.03% |
| 2019 | 66,505 | 511 | 0.77% |
| 2018 | 65,994 | -344 | -0.52% |
| 2017 | 66,338 | 350 | 0.53% |
| 2016 | 65,988 | 235 | 0.36% |
| 2015 | 65,753 | 923 | 1.42% |
| 2014 | 64,830 | 1,739 | 2.76% |
| 2013 | 63,091 | 1,635 | 2.66% |
| 2012 | 61,456 | 1,000 | 1.65% |
| 2011 | 60,456 | 1,353 | 2.29% |
| 2010 | 59,103 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 50,731 | 3,533 | 7.49% |
| 1990 | 47,198 | 1,423 | 3.11% |
| 1980 | 45,775 | 6,270 | 15.87% |
| 1970 | 39,505 | 12,502 | 46.3% |
| 1960 | 27,003 | 4,105 | 17.93% |
| 1950 | 22,898 | 10,343 | 82.38% |
| 1940 | 12,555 | 2,294 | 22.36% |
| 1930 | 10,261 | 3,991 | 63.65% |
| 1920 | 6,270 | 2,047 | 48.47% |
| 1910 | 4,223 | 2,923 | 224.85% |
| 1900 | 1,300 | -62,784 | -97.97% |