City comparison
Ames, IA is about 30 miles (50 km) from Des Moines, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 39 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Ames, IA to Des Moines, IA takes about 4 min, covering roughly 30 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Des Moines has a population of 213,164, vs 66,265 in Ames — about 3.2× larger by population. By land area, Des Moines covers about 88 sq mi vs 28 sq mi for Ames.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Ames | Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011/mo | $995/mo | 1.6% higher in Ames |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $170,700 | 45.0% higher in Ames |
| Median household income | $57,428 | $62,378 | 8.6% higher in Des Moines |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 83.8 | 85.2 | 1.7% higher in Des Moines |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ames, you'd need $107,347 in Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ames, IA is about 6.8% cheaper overall than Des Moines, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% higher in Des Moines than in Ames. If you earn $80,000 in Ames, you'd need about $85,877 in Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.