Photo: Dirk DBQ · CC BY 2.0577 homes sold in Ames in the last year, at a typical $322K
About one sale in 5 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Ames homes are listed.
Every place Ames homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Ames.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
8% of Ames’ sales are condos, at $113K less than a house
452 houses and 48 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 452 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $212IA $158
- Days to sell
- 27
- Sold over asking
- 23%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
typical sale · 48 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $211IA $165
- Days to sell
- 33
- Sold over asking
- 8%
- Listings with a price cut
- 48%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 11 sold, typical $303K
Townhouses: 66 sold, typical $299K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.6 times the 2016 price
577 sales in the last year, against 757 in 2020 and a low of 55 in 2012. The typical sale went from $198K in 2016 to $322K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $300K buys in Ames
Check a listing against what Ames homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Ames are back to pre-pandemic levels, but 60% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Ames’ home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 577 sales.
If you’re buying in Ames
- Shop in March. It brings about 72 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (24% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.7% of the list price on average; 21% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 43% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 25 days.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 88 a month), but June is the most competitive: 35% of June sales close over asking. March and April offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (24%). February has the least competition (17%) but only about 49 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like Iowa as a whole
| Ames now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 21% | 21% | 44% | 22% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 43% | 1% | 7% | 36% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 28% | — | 7% | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.7% | 97.9% | 100.7% | 97.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 25 | 85 | 57 | 45 |
96 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 3.4 times the 2012 low (28), 60% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2018’s 258.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
28% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 27% across Iowa.
Since 2019, houses are up 47%, condos 43%
A house typically sold for $343K in the last year (452 sales), a condo for $230K (48).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Ames ranks 33rd of 64 busy Iowa markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Ames is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Ames home costs about $2,052 a month
Price: Ames’ typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Ames’ 1.4% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Ames is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 22.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $322K home, about $4,470 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Ames, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in AmesCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Nevada, Story City, Roland and Boone sell for less a square foot; Huxley for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Ames, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ames | 577 | $322K | $205 | 21% | 25 |
| Boone | 195 | $189K | $148 | 21% | 47 |
| Nevada | 90 | $246K | $189 | 19% | 29 |
| Huxley | 68 | $335K | $262 | 25% | 67 |
| Story City | 38 | $238K | $179 | 16% | 34 |
| Roland | 28 | $266K | $172 | 11% | 47 |
| Gilbert | 20 | $448K | $234 | 20% | 67 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Ames, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Ames. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Ames with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Ames
What do homes sell for in Ames, IA?
577 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $322K, $205 a square foot. Houses sold for about $343K, condos for about $230K.
Is Ames a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 90 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 61 sold, about 1.5 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.7% of asking on average, and 28% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Ames?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Ames?
About 1.4% of a home’s value a year. On a $322K home that’s near $4,470.
Where can I see homes for sale in Ames?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Ames’ MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Ames.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).