Marshalltown, IA vs Ames, IA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricMarshalltown, IAAmes, IA
Population27,62667,669
Median Household Income$69,068$60,991
Median Rent$891/mo$1,023/mo
Median Home Value$127,700$277,400
Cost of Living (US = 100)—89
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income32.4%48.9%
Poverty Rate14.3%25.5%
Unemployment Rate7.3%2.8%
Violent Crime Rate /100k283103
Property Crime Rate /100k1,3021,267
Median AQI——
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs82°F82°F
Winter Lows13°F14°F
Snowfall25 in/yr27 in/yr
Avg Commute17.2 min15.6 min
Hospitals11
Avg Hospital Rating3.0 / 54.0 / 5
Students per Teacher14.214.9
College Degree Rate20.9%65.8%
Foreign-Born %20.1%11.6%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-0.2%+2.7%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.