Photo: Dirk DBQ · CC BY 2.0Ames spent less per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities
Ames’ city government spent $59.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $886 per resident. It also runs a hospital ($219.4 million) and water utilities ($93.4 million), counted separately. Census Bureau figures.
What stands out about how Ames is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $886 per resident a year, or $2.43 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,055 per resident in 2022: less than 83% of them
Ames’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,055 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Iowa cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,568, and the middle half spent $1,255–$1,782. Ames spent less than 83% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($10 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Iowa cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Ames itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is down 16% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Ames reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,055 · 2023: $1,178 · 2024: $886.
full-time in March 2025 (hospital, health & welfare left out), up from 504 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,850 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.39% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Ames’ rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Ames’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ames →
Who’s in charge in Ames
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ames’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofames.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 131 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (66,950).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Ames Community School District
Ames’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,699 per pupil, $8,408 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Iowa districts overall: 43% local, 49% state, 8% federal.
Gilbert Community School District · $12,597 per pupil
Nevada Community School District · $12,560 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Ames’ votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ames alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Story County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.4%26,765 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.0%21,665 votesOthers: 1.6% (770 votes).
Most votes in Story County: Kamala D Harris
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Ames lies in Story County. Every 2024 race in Story County is on the county’s page.
Story County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Ames.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofames.org ↗
- 2Iowa HouseAmes is split between 3 districts
- 3Iowa SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Ames compares with the towns next door
Ames spent $1,055 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $964. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $964 | $2,615 |
| Ames | $1,055 | $3,850 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Ames’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ames’ government
How much does Ames spend per resident?
About $886 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. Ames also runs a hospital ($219.4 million), counted separately. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,055 was less than 83% of 18 Iowa cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ames?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,850 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.39% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofames.org.
Who runs Ames’ government?
See cityofames.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ames yet.
How did Ames vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ames alone. Story County, where 100% of Ames lies, voted Harris 54.4%, Trump 44.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ames?
510 full-time and 352 part-time employees in March 2025 (plus 4 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $4.3M (about $51.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ames in the state legislature?
Ames is split among 3 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Iowa Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ames’ government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →