Ames, IA vs Des Plaines, 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

Des Plaines

76.4

#348 nationally

Ames leads in average commute (15.8 min vs 29.9 min). Des Plaines leads in median household income ($86,552 vs $57,428). Des Plaines leads in walk score (57 vs 42).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Ames, IA	Des Plaines, IL
WhereAtHome Score	76.2 (#367)	76.4 (#348)
Population	65,686	58,010
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$306,337	$360,725
Median Household Income	$57,428	$86,552
Average Commute	15.8 min	29.9 min
Walk Score	42	57
Crime Level	4.1	3.3
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	100	112
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+10.4	D+42.0