City comparison
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 | Roswell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011/mo | $855/mo | 18.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $130,200 | 90.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $57,428 | $48,298 | 18.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 98.5 | 4.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.6 | 92.1 | 7.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 100.4 | 6.2% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 100.2 | 5.4% lower in A |
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 $99,739 in Roswell to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ames and Roswell have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 11% lower in Roswell than in Ames. If you earn $80,000 in Ames, you'd need about $79,791 in Roswell to keep the same standard of living.