City comparison
Ames, IA is about 650 miles (1,100 km) from Monroe, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 850 miles, or about 14 hours 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 Monroe, LA takes about 1 h 19 min, covering roughly 650 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 47,631 in Monroe — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Monroe covers about 30 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 | Monroe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011/mo | $790/mo | 28.0% higher in Ames |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $158,200 | 56.4% higher in Ames |
| Median household income | $57,428 | $36,550 | 57.1% higher in Ames |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.1 | ≈ equal (Monroe slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 83.8 | 74.3 | 12.8% higher in Ames |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 96.1 | 3.1% higher in Monroe |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 95.6 | 2.3% higher in Monroe |
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 $86,962 in Monroe to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Monroe, LA is about 13% cheaper overall than Ames, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 57% higher in Ames than in Monroe. If you earn $80,000 in Ames, you'd need about $69,570 in Monroe to keep the same standard of living.