2025 Compare Cities Job Market:
Ames, IA vs West Des Moines, IA

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Highlights
- Job Growth in West Des Moines has been positive.
- West Des Moines has 0.6% more unemployment than Ames.
- West Des Moines job growth has increased by 13.7% in the past 10 years.
 Ames, IAWest Des Moines, IAUnited States
 Current Unemployment  Unlock3.3%6.0%
 Future Job Growth34.0%  Unlock33.5%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock-6.0%-6.2%
 3 Yr. Job Growth-3.5%  Unlock-3.6%
 5 Yr. Job Growth  Unlock2.0%-0.7%
 10 Yr. Job Growth10.8%  Unlock6.3%
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 West Des Moines    4 Reviews

Over 16 years ago

I just moved here from out-of-state a few months ago and have been pleasantly surprised by the broad range of activities and amenities available in this medium sized IA  More

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Over 16 years ago

Am contemplating a move to WDM from the East Coast (NYC). Might there be anyone out there that may have experienced this and could offer guidance or comment. Thanks.   More

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We just moved to West Des Moines and we love it here! We moved here three months ago and every weekend we have been able to do something different and fun. There is  More

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