2025 Compare Cities People:
Ames, IA vs West Des Moines, IA

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Highlights
- West Des Moines is 0% more densely populated than Ames.
- People are 64.4% more likely to be married in West Des Moines.
- The Median Age is 12.7 years older in West Des Moines.
 Ames, IAWest Des Moines, IAUnited States
 Population  Unlock67,640329,725,481
 Female Population46.6%  Unlock50.5%
 Male Population53.4%  Unlock49.5%
 Median Age  Unlock36.138.4
 space3
 Population - 201059,103  Unlock309,327,143
 Population - 2000  Unlock46,403285,036,114
 Population - 199047,198  Unlock251,960,433
 Pop. 2000 to Now  Unlock48.8%15.6%
 Pop. 1990 to Now42.0%  Unlock30.8%
 space4
 Population Density  Unlock1,436.393.4
 Land Area27.4  Unlock3,531,905.4
 Water Area  Unlock1.0264,836.8
 space
 Est. Total Population By Age
 Ames, IAWest Des Moines, IAUnited States
 Age 0 to 43.6%  Unlock5.9%
 Age 5 to 9  Unlock6.0%6.1%
 Age 10 to 142.8%  Unlock6.6%
 Age 15 to 17  Unlock3.2%3.9%
 Age 18 to 2021.0%  Unlock4.0%
 Age 21 to 24  Unlock6.1%5.2%
 Age 25 to 3413.4%  Unlock13.8%
 Age 35 to 44  Unlock13.8%12.9%
 Age 45 to 546.2%  Unlock12.6%
 Age 55 to 59  Unlock6.3%6.7%
 Age 60 to 643.4%  Unlock6.3%
 Age 65 to 74  Unlock8.0%9.6%
 Age 75 to 842.9%  Unlock4.5%
 Age 85 and over  Unlock1.7%1.9%
 space1
 Race
 Ames, IAWest Des Moines, IAUnited States
 White78.5%  Unlock59.4%
 Black  Unlock3.9%12.2%
 Asian10.5%  Unlock5.6%
 Native American  Unlock0.1%0.6%
 Hawaiian, Pacific Islander0.0%  Unlock0.2%
 Other  Unlock0.2%0.4%
 Two or More Races3.8%  Unlock3.2%
 Hispanic  Unlock4.9%18.4%
 space2
 Marriage & Family
 Ames, IAWest Des Moines, IAUnited States
 Married Population30.3%  Unlock49.8%
     Currently Married  Unlock48.9%48.0%
 Married but Separated0.6%  Unlock1.8%
 Single Population  Unlock50.1%50.2%
 Never Married62.7%  Unlock33.8%
 Divorced  Unlock11.5%10.8%
 Widowed2.3%  Unlock5.6%
 space5
 Household Size  Unlock2.192.60
 Households24,633  Unlock124,010,992
 Family Households  Unlock16,64780,755,759
     Married couple, w/children31.2%  Unlock30.5%
     Married couple, no children  Unlock40.1%42.9%
 Non Family Households14,630  Unlock43,255,233
     Single householder, w/children  Unlock12.5%15.8%
     Single householder, no children7.0%  Unlock10.8%
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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