2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Ames, IA vs East Lansing, MI

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Highlights
Are people in East Lansing older or younger than people in Ames?
- The Median Age in East Lansing is 2.0 years younger than in Ames.

Are housing costs cheaper in East Lansing or Ames?
- East Lansing housing costs are 10.5% more expensive than Ames housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, East Lansing or Ames?
- The average commute for residents of East Lansing is 0.8 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Ames.

Things to do in Ames?
Ames, Iowa is a lively city located in the heart of central Iowa. This bustling city offers plenty for visitors to explore such as the picturesque Reiman Gardens or the historic Octagon Center for the Arts. Residents here also enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities at Hills Memorial Park or Brookside Park. With its excellent school systems, thriving businesses, and numerous recreational opportunities, it's no wonder why so many people choose to make Ames their home.

Things to do in East Lansing?
East Lansing MI sits adjacent to Michigan State University’s sprawling campus making it an ideal place for students attending one largest universities in the country boasting more than 50 thousand undergraduate students alone giving East Lansing an estimated 48 thousand permanent residents that call it home throughout the year. Despite its mostly college atmosphere there are plenty more options available ranging from residential housing all around the area perfect suburban settings or urban apartments right on MSU campus itself allowing those to explore different lifestyle choices depending on preferences or budget limitations if any were present at all!

 Ames, IAEast Lansing, MIUnited States
 Population  Unlock47,427329,725,481
 Median Income$54,339  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock21.438.4
 Avg. Home Price$239,100  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock3.7%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time16.44  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Ames    12 Reviews

Over 13 years ago

Hello, I am in San Jose Ca, but am seriously thinking of moving somewhere much slower for a better quality of living. I've just turned 59, so I'm kinda preparing for  More

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Over 13 years ago

Like every other city Ames has both good and bad points. The good points are: low cost of living, very friendly people, lots of outdoor activities and quite a few events  More

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Ames enjoys a high quality of life at a very affordable cost, substantially lower than many other communities. The presence of Iowa State University, a large (28,000  More

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Reviews for East Lansing    4 Reviews

East Lansing is a wonderful, lively, youthful college town that has gotten better over time. You feel the strong Spartan Spirit everywhere as students, alumni and locals  More

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East Lansing is noted for being the home of one of the first Land Grant colleges -- Michigan State University. MSU has an large campus with an enormous area of land  More

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Over 17 years ago

East Lansing is a very pretty town. The town has had frequent problems with student rioters. Overall 60% of the town is composed of students. I would recommend East  More

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