Ames, IA vs Irving, 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

Irving

73.1

#789 nationally

Ames leads in crime level (4.1 vs 7.5). Ames leads in average commute (15.8 min vs 23.8 min). Irving leads in median household income ($76,686 vs $57,428).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Ames, IA	Irving, TX
WhereAtHome Score	76.2 (#367)	73.1 (#789)
Population	65,686	254,373
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$306,337	$343,364
Median Household Income	$57,428	$76,686
Average Commute	15.8 min	23.8 min
Walk Score	42	45
Crime Level	4.1	7.5
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	100	103
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+10.4	D+22.2