Half of Ames Lake’s homes were built after 1988
More historic than 4% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Ames Lake was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1988.
About Ames Lake’s history
How historic is Ames Lake?
More historic than 4% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
What drives Ames Lake’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ames Lake is more historic than 4% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
Few Washington towns list much on the Register (a typical Washington town has 0.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Ames Lake’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (27% of Washington towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Questions about Ames Lake’s history
How does Ames Lake rank for history?
Ames Lake is more historic than 4% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Ames Lake?
0.0% of Ames Lake’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.7 points), against a typical 4.3% for a Washington town; the median home was built in 1988.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Where this page comes from
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.