2025 Compare Cities Rankings:
Gainesville, FL vs Ames, IA

Change Cities

Rankings for Gainesville

Gainesville Ranked
#15 Most Competitive Public Colleges
Most Competitive Public Colleges... Read More

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

Gainesville Ranked
#56 2005 Best Places to Live
2005 Best Places to Live Study.... Read More

Gainesville Ranked
#88 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

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

Reviews for Gainesville    60 Reviews

Over 3 years ago

I've lived here most of my life. It's changed a lot, and a lot of the locals don't like it. Because it's home to one of the largest universities in the country, we see a  More

   |    Reply

Lovely diverse city! People is nice and there is always something to do. Outdoors activities are awesome! The springs are beautiful and there are plenty of hiking  More

   |    Reply

Gainesville has the highest taxes and electrical rates in the state. The city is run by a bunch of liberals who have no idea what they are doing. Crime and homelessness  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Gainesville

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

   |    Reply

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

   |    Reply

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

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Ames


Premium Subscription
Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.


The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

© Best Places. All rights reserved.