Fitting for its location right at the center of Iowa, ISU is well known for its agriculture and veterinary medicine schools, with leading programs in engineering and design as well. The surrounding community, Ames, is a small city thirty minutes north of Des Moines that regularly finds itself on lists of the best places to live in America.
The beautiful Brookside Park and Stuart Smith Park lie within a short stroll of campus, along the tranquil Squaw Creek. Apartments, condos, and rental homes are easy to find very close to campus, with numerous units available under $1,000 per month within just a block or two of the university. The area near the southwest corner of campus at Lincoln Way and Sheldon Avenue is full of great rental options that will also put you right in the center of the local dining, nightlife, and entertainment scene.
As of November 2025, the average apartment rent in Ames, IA is $766 for a studio, $894 for one bedroom, $1,083 for two bedrooms, and $1,514 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Ames has increased by 1.1% in the past year.
Studio
404 sq ft
Average Sq Ft
$766/month
Average Rent
1 BR
617 sq ft
Average Sq Ft
$894/month
Average Rent
2 BR
899 sq ft
Average Sq Ft
$1,083/month
Average Rent
3 BR
1,151 sq ft
Average Sq Ft
$1,514/month
Average Rent
Discover the best ways to find off-campus housing near Iowa State University. Get tips on locations, budgeting, and more on Apartments.com.
Somewhat Walkable
out of 100 WalkScore® Rating
You might be able to get out and walk when living in this area. Some errands can be accomplished on foot, but for others you’ll need a car.
Very Bikeable
out of 100 BikeScore® Rating
This area is very bikeable. You’ll find a variety of bike paths and lanes.
Public
Grades K-5
528 Students
Public
Grades K-5
351 Students
Kate Mitchell Elementary School
Public
Grades K-5
290 Students
Public
Grades K-5
450 Students
Abbie Sawyer Elementary School
Public
Grades K-5
367 Students
Public
Grades 6-8
1,002 Students
Public
Grades 9-12
1,403 Students
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.
Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.
Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in November 2025.
