Ames, IA vs Oak Park, MI

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

Oak Park

76.3

#365 nationally

Ames leads in crime level (4.1 vs 10.9). Ames leads in average commute (15.8 min vs 21.3 min). Oak Park leads in median household income ($61,991 vs $57,428).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Ames, IA	Oak Park, MI
WhereAtHome Score	76.2 (#367)	76.3 (#365)
Population	65,686	29,023
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$306,337	$237,113
Median Household Income	$57,428	$61,991
Average Commute	15.8 min	21.3 min
Walk Score	42	45
Crime Level	4.1	10.9
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	100	94
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+10.4	D+10.6