Neighborhood Profile

College Creek/Old Ames

Ames, IA | Story County
Scored premium profile
Best Neighborhoods USA Index
22.9
National rank: #14,424 of 14,967
Stability and Strength
17.1
Score
Value Opportunity
11.6
Score
Momentum
48.0
Score
Score note: Rankings show denominators so users always see the size of the eligible cohort.
ContextValue
LocationAmes, IA
CountyStory County
National rank#14,424 of 14,967
State rank#162 of 165
City rank#18 of 18
County rank#18 of 18
National percentile3.6
National bandLOWER_25_PERCENT
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Housing and local fundamentals

Housing and market metricsValue
Current Zillow home value$225,285
Year-over-year home value change-0.3%
Month-over-month home value change0.22%
Home value to income ratio43.83
Median household income$5,140
Bachelor's degree or higher44.2%
Civilian unemployment rate23.3%
Homeownership rate14.5%
Housing vacancy rate15.0%
Rent burden 30% or higher60.3%

How to read this profile

  • Ranks are always shown with denominators.
  • Momentum reflects both year-over-year and month-over-month housing change.
  • Stability and Strength and Value Opportunity are governed composite scores.
  • Identity composition is descriptive intelligence and is not a scoring component.
Questions and Answers

Questions About Living in College Creek/Old Ames

What is the Best Neighborhoods USA ranking for College Creek/Old Ames?

College Creek/Old Ames is ranked #18 of 18 eligible neighborhoods in Ames; #162 of 165 eligible neighborhoods in IA; and #14,424 of 14,967 eligible neighborhoods in the United States.

Is College Creek/Old Ames one of the best neighborhoods in Ames?

College Creek/Old Ames has a Best Neighborhoods USA Index of 22.9 and a city ranking of #18 of 18 eligible neighborhoods in Ames.

How much are homes worth in College Creek/Old Ames?

The current Zillow Home Value Index for College Creek/Old Ames is approximately $225,285.

Are home values rising or falling in College Creek/Old Ames?

Zillow neighborhood values changed -0.3% year over year and 0.22% month over month.

What is the Neighborhood Momentum Score for College Creek/Old Ames?

College Creek/Old Ames has a Neighborhood Momentum Score of 48.0. Momentum is 70% year-over-year and 30% month-over-month Zillow housing change.

What is the median household income in College Creek/Old Ames?

The NDS-derived neighborhood median household income is approximately $5,140.

How affordable is College Creek/Old Ames relative to household income?

The current Zillow home-value-to-household-income ratio is 43.83. Price-to-income affordability is a major Value Opportunity input.

Is College Creek/Old Ames primarily homeowners or renters?

The NDS-derived homeownership rate is approximately 14.5%.

What is the unemployment rate in College Creek/Old Ames?

The NDS-derived civilian unemployment rate is approximately 23.3%.

How educated are residents of College Creek/Old Ames?

Approximately 44.2% of residents age 25 and older are estimated to have a bachelor's degree or higher.

What share of renters in College Creek/Old Ames face high rent burden?

Approximately 60.3% of the applicable renter-household universe is estimated to spend 30% or more of household income on gross rent.

How does Best Neighborhoods USA score College Creek/Old Ames?

The overall index combines 40% Stability and Strength, 35% Value Opportunity, and 25% Momentum. Race, ethnicity, and identity composition are not scoring components.

Governed ranking context

How this neighborhood ranks

HMDA Mortgage Intelligence

Neighborhood Mortgage Market

FULL_OR_NEAR_FULL

Modeled neighborhood-level mortgage activity allocated from governed HMDA tract data using Zillow neighborhood geometry. These neighborhood values are nonadditive and do not enter the Best Neighborhoods USA Index.

Activity year2024
Estimated applications5
Estimated originations4
Home-purchase applications4
Origination rate71.7%
Home-purchase share76.6%
Average application loan$758,220
Total application loan amount$4,104,723
National application rank#13,653 of 14,874 rankable neighborhoods
Geometry coverage100.0%
Recent trend: Applications -8.3% YoY; originations -18.2% YoY
Mortgage methodology

HMDA is natively reported at tract and other lender-reporting geographies, not Zillow neighborhood or ZIP geography. This module uses the certified NDS HMDA-to-Zillow tract-vintage crosswalk and area-weighted allocation. Rankings require governed geometry coverage. Applicant demographics are excluded. Neighborhood values may overlap and must not be summed to reconstruct ZIP or national totals.