Ames, IA vs Edina, MN

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

Edina

73.1

#783 nationally

Edina leads in median household income ($125,506 vs $57,428). Edina leads in crime level (2.0 vs 4.1). Ames leads in cost of living index (100 vs 142).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Ames, IA	Edina, MN
WhereAtHome Score	76.2 (#367)	73.1 (#783)
Population	65,686	53,348
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$306,337	$631,926
Median Household Income	$57,428	$125,506
Average Commute	15.8 min	21 min
Walk Score	42	37
Crime Level	4.1	2.0
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	100	142
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+10.4	D+42.6