Ames, IA vs Myrtle Beach, SC

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

Myrtle Beach

67.2

#1454 nationally

Ames leads in crime level (4.1 vs 30.5). Ames leads in average commute (15.8 min vs 18.5 min). Ames leads in median household income ($57,428 vs $50,558).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Ames, IA	Myrtle Beach, SC
WhereAtHome Score	76.2 (#367)	67.2 (#1454)
Population	65,686	39,697
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$306,337	$324,532
Median Household Income	$57,428	$50,558
Average Commute	15.8 min	18.5 min
Walk Score	42	43
Crime Level	4.1	30.5
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	100	104
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+10.4	R+38.5