Quick answer
Prices in Ames, IA were 11.2% below the US average in 2024 (Regional Price Parity 88.8, US = 100), with a housing-rent index of 69.2, per the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (2024)
| Category | Price index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All items | 88.830 |
| Goods | 93.730 |
| Housing (rents) | 69.163 |
| Utilities | 83.004 |
| Other services | 92.927 |
| — All items by year — | |
| 2024 | 88.830 |
| 2023 | 91.465 |
| 2022 | 88.384 |
| 2021 | 91.489 |
| 2020 | 93.106 |
| 2019 | 95.923 |
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Last updated 2026-10-16. Data only, not financial or tax advice.