Ames, IA vs Granite City, 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

Granite City

78.6

#169 nationally

Ames leads in crime level (4.1 vs 16.9). Ames leads in average commute (15.8 min vs 22.8 min). Granite City leads in cost of living index (83 vs 100).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Ames, IA	Granite City, IL
WhereAtHome Score	76.2 (#367)	78.6 (#169)
Population	65,686	26,908
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$306,337	$116,558
Median Household Income	$57,428	$58,681
Average Commute	15.8 min	22.8 min
Walk Score	42	39
Crime Level	4.1	16.9
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	100	83
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+10.4	R+13.3