Ames, IA vs Garland, TX

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

Garland

73.2

#772 nationally

Ames leads in average commute (15.8 min vs 29.7 min). Ames leads in crime level (4.1 vs 6.4). Garland leads in median household income ($71,044 vs $57,428).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Ames, IA	Garland, TX
WhereAtHome Score	76.2 (#367)	73.2 (#772)
Population	65,686	243,470
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$306,337	$287,246
Median Household Income	$57,428	$71,044
Average Commute	15.8 min	29.7 min
Walk Score	42	40
Crime Level	4.1	6.4
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	100	102
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+10.4	D+22.2