Compare towns
Ames vs Cedar Point 97 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (5.6× in Cedar Point) and size (2.6× in Ames).
Where each one shines Two towns, two different strengths What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.
Ames A small town of 21
Quiet strengths Ames doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Ames →
Cedar Point A small town of 8
Quiet strengths Cedar Point doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Cedar Point →
The biggest differences Where they differ most The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.
Life in each What daily life feels like in each The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.
Outdoors & history
Famous people born here — 1
A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.
Where they are 97 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Ames ↔ Cedar Point 97 miles apart
Everything, side by side What matters to you? Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
21 Highest 8 Lowest
Median age
31.7 ±44.7 Highest 15% below KS 23.7 ±0.6 Lowest 37% below KS
Kids under 18
33.3% ±100 Highest KS: 23.8% 0% ±100 Lowest KS: 23.8%
Age 65+
0% ±100 Lowest KS: 17% 25% ±100 Highest KS: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
0% KS: 35.6% 0% KS: 35.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±74.1 KS: 6.6% 0% ±100 KS: 6.6%
Below poverty line
57.1% Highest KS: 11.3% 0% Lowest KS: 11.3%
Homeownersof occupied homes
100% KS: 67.2% 100% KS: 67.2%
Typical home builtmedian year
— 1953 23 yrs older than KS
Work from home
33.3% ±25 Highest KS: 11.8% 0% ±100 Lowest KS: 11.8%
Work in townworking residents
0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
15.3 mi Lowest 32.3 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.00 Lowest 0.78 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Concordia (25%) Cottonwood Falls (33%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Cedar Point Few work in Ames
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
21.3 Lowest 120 Highest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 2020–2024
Deciding? Ask the people who live there The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.
Ames or Cedar Point: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Ames? → Moving to Ames: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Ames’s Town Square.
Cedar Point or Ames: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Cedar Point? → Moving to Cedar Point: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Cedar Point’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Ames and Cedar Point One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Ames Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.
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