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 April 2026, the average apartment rent in Ames, IA is $774 for a studio, $910 for one bedroom, $1,075 for two bedrooms, and $1,361 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Ames has increased by 2.1% in the past year.
Studio
402 sq ft
Average Sq Ft
$774/month
Average Rent
1 BR
618 sq ft
Average Sq Ft
$910/month
Average Rent
2 BR
897 sq ft
Average Sq Ft
$1,075/month
Average Rent
3 BR
1,120 sq ft
Average Sq Ft
$1,361/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.
Explore how walkable, bikeable, drivable, and transit-friendly Iowa State University - Ames, IA (University) is for everyday living.
Fairly Walkable
Walkability
Strong Public Transit
Transit
Exceptionally Drivable
Drivability
Very Bikeable
Bikeability
Essentials are more spread out in Iowa State University - Ames, IA (University), so everyday errands require more planning.
Supermarket Within a 30 Minute Walk
Groceries
Fair Restaurant Variety Nearby
Restaurants
Fair Café Variety Nearby
Cafes
Fair Variety of Shops Nearby
Shopping
Get a sense of what it’s like to live in Iowa State University - Ames, IA (University) from everyday activity to noise and nightlife.
Mostly Calm Atmosphere
Vibrancy
Limited Nightlife Variety Nearby
Nightlife
Not Noisy
Quiet Score
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.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Data provided by
GreatSchools.org
© 2026. All rights reserved.
3,487
Communities
959,658
Units
891
Cities
717
Communities
198,214
Units
340
Cities
651
Communities
178,984
Units
258
Cities
611
Communities
122,348
Units
242
Cities
578
Communities
128,898
Units
223
Cities
455
Communities
108,006
Units
227
Cities
† 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 February 2026.
Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.
