City comparison
Ames, IA is about 400 miles (650 km) from Elkhart, IN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 500 miles, or about 8 h 15 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 Elkhart, IN takes about 47 min, covering roughly 400 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.
Ames has a population of 66,265, vs 53,785 in Elkhart — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Ames covers about 28 sq mi vs 28 sq mi for Elkhart.
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 | Elkhart | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011/mo | $896/mo | 12.8% higher in Ames |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $119,300 | 107.5% higher in Ames |
| Median household income | $57,428 | $46,534 | 23.4% higher in Ames |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.5 | 0.6% higher in Elkhart |
| Utilities index | 83.8 | 86.8 | 3.6% higher in Elkhart |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 98.9 | 6.1% higher in Elkhart |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 99.1 | 6.0% higher in Elkhart |
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 $99,964 in Elkhart to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ames and Elkhart have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 8% higher in Ames than in Elkhart. If you earn $80,000 in Ames, you'd need about $79,971 in Elkhart to keep the same standard of living.