Ames, IA vs Batavia, IL

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

Batavia

72.9

#804 nationally

Batavia leads in median household income ($113,824 vs $57,428). Ames leads in average commute (15.8 min vs 29.6 min). Batavia leads in crime level (2.5 vs 4.1).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Ames, IA	Batavia, IL
WhereAtHome Score	76.2 (#367)	72.9 (#804)
Population	65,686	26,235
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$306,337	$472,001
Median Household Income	$57,428	$113,824
Average Commute	15.8 min	29.6 min
Walk Score	42	29
Crime Level	4.1	2.5
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	100	117
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+10.4	D+9.4