2026 Compare Cities Rankings:
Ames, IA vs Monterey, CA

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Rankings for Ames

Ames Ranked
#12 Emerging Metropolitan Areas
Emerging Metropolitan Areas... Read More

Ames Ranked
#39 Best Green Cities
Country Home magazine, in conjunction with Sperlings BestPlaces, reveals that Burlington, Vermont is the 2007 Best Green Pla... Read More

Rankings for Monterey

Monterey Ranked
#26 America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Mid-Size Metro Areas)
Feeling safe and secure is especially important to Americans these days. Recent events have reminded us that the safety of our... Read More

Monterey Ranked
#105 America's Migraine Hot Spots
Everybody gets a headache now and then, but did you know that the severe headaches known as migraines affect over 29 million Am... Read More

Monterey Ranked
#132 Best Green Cities
Country Home magazine, in conjunction with Sperlings BestPlaces, reveals that Burlington, Vermont is the 2007 Best Green Pla... Read More

Monterey Ranked
#153 2005 Best Places to Live
2005 Best Places to Live Study.... Read More

Reviews for Ames    12 Reviews

Over 14 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 14 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 Monterey    21 Reviews

Over 9 years ago

The Monterey city area is an excellent place to live and one of the few California locales where it's relatively safe to raise a family. If I could no longer live here I  More

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I grew up on the Monterey Peninsula and had to leave to climb out of poverty. The median income is $35,000 and outside of the military, the jobs are mostly service  More

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My husband and I are just crazy about Monterey. I wonder if we take housing expenses (mortgage or rent) out of the picture, is Monterey still a very expensive city to  More

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