Last updated September 23, 2026

Average Rent in Ames, IA & Rent Trends

Rent prices and market trends across 14 apartment communities in Ames, IA. Updated daily.

Area All Areas

Ames 50010 50014

Beds All Bedrooms Studio 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed 4 Bed

Market Average

$1,048/mo

Lowest Available

$495/mo

cheapest unit on market

Communities

tracked daily

Units Listed

available now

Rent by Neighborhood in Ames, IA

Compare average rent across Ames, IA neighborhoods. Click any area to see detailed trends.

Neighborhood	Avg Rent	30d Change	From	Properties	Units
Ames 50014	$1,227	▲ $68	$634	4	21
Ames 50010	$961	▲ $35	$495	9	55

Is Rent Going Up or Down in Ames, IA?

As of September 2026, the average rent in Ames, IA is $1,048 per month across 14 apartment communities and 79 available units.

The most affordable option is The Landing Ames starting at $495/mo. By unit type, a studio averages $699/mo, a 1-bedroom averages $845/mo, a 2-bedroom averages $1,176/mo, a 3-bedroom averages $1,081/mo, a 4-bedroom averages $1,436/mo.

Prices range from $495 to $6,783 per month. The most common price point is the $800 range, where 45 units are currently listed.

Ames, IA Rent Price History

Timeframe

View as table

Month	Avg Rent	Change	Properties
July 2026	$1,020	-	11
August 2026	$1,025	+$5	10
September 2026	$1,049	+$24	12

The trend line and monthly averages track each building's average listed price, recorded daily with outliers trimmed. The current month is a month-to-date figure, so it can sit above or below today's live market average shown at the top of this page.

Average Rent by Bedroom

Rent Price Distribution

Rent by Bedroom Type in Ames, IA

Studio

$699

from $699 · 1 units

1 Bed

$845

from $634 · 28 units

2 Bed

$1,176

from $665 · 31 units

3 Bed

$1,081

from $495 · 15 units

4 Bed

$1,436

from $650 · 4 units

Rent Prices by Apartment in Ames, IA

Property	Starting at	Average	Units	Rating
The Landing Ames	$495/mo	$523/mo	6	4.4
Unique Apartment Homes	$634/mo	$2,007/mo	5	3.9
West Towne	$699/mo	$892/mo	4	4.3
South Oak	$795/mo	$856/mo	7	3.7
South Meadow	$799/mo	$926/mo	24	4.1
Friedrich Properties	$800/mo	$1,700/mo	4	4
The Foundry	$845/mo	$910/mo	2	4.6
Maple Glen	$860/mo	$988/mo	4	4.1
Gateway Hills	$870/mo	$1,035/mo	10	4.6
Riverbirch	$950/mo	$973/mo	2	4.4
South View	$950/mo	$950/mo	5	4.3
PSA Rentals	$1,200/mo	$1,200/mo	1	5
Prairie West Apartments	$1,265/mo	$1,265/mo	4	3.7
The Phoenix	$1,950/mo	$1,950/mo	1	5

Frequently Asked Questions About Rent in Ames, IA

What is the average rent in Ames, IA?

The average rent in Ames, IA is $1,048 per month as of September 2026, based on 79 units across 14 apartment communities.

Is rent going up or down in Ames, IA?

The current average rent in Ames, IA is $1,048/mo, refreshed daily to track rent trends.

What is the cheapest apartment in Ames, IA?

The most affordable apartment in Ames, IA is The Landing Ames with units starting at $495/mo.

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in Ames, IA?

A 1-bedroom apartment in Ames, IA averages $845/mo, with prices starting at $634/mo across 28 available units.

How many apartments are available in Ames, IA?

There are 79 units available across 14 apartment communities in Ames, IA.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in Ames, IA?

Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Minimum to afford average rent

$42,000/year

Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $1,048/mo.

Comfortable income

$50,000/year

Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($495/mo), you need to earn at least $20,000/year.

Median household income in Ames, IA is $60,102 , about 19% above the comfortable-living threshold.

Cost of living in Ames, IA

Overall prices in Ames, IA runs below the national average by about 9% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 91.5, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by Ames, IA's regional price parities.

Category	Monthly estimate	Source
Rent (market average)	$1,048	daily refresh
Utilities	$343	BLS × BEA RPP
Groceries	$522	BLS × BEA RPP
Transportation	$818	BLS × BEA RPP
Healthcare	$399	BLS × BEA RPP
Other goods and services	$638	BLS × BEA RPP
Estimated total	$3,768/mo	$45,212/year

Population

66,112

Median household income

$60,102

Census median rent

$1,040/mo

Census rent burden

31.7%

Median age

23.3

Mean commute

16 min

Methodology

Rent data

Sourced directly from each tracked apartment community and refreshed every 24 hours. Every listed unit price on this page is real and listed today.

Cost of living

Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.

Salary to live comfortably

Applies the standard 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income rule on top of the listed rent. This is the same affordability guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Demographic figures

Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.

Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.

Iowa Rent Trends

Compare rent across all Iowa cities

Explore Ames, IA on Map

See neighborhoods and rent data interactively

US-wide rent comparison

See how Ames, IA rents stack up against the national median