What is the Best Neighborhoods USA ranking for South Campus Area?
South Campus Area is ranked #17 of 18 eligible neighborhoods in Ames; #137 of 165 eligible neighborhoods in IA; and #12,041 of 14,967 eligible neighborhoods in the United States.
Neighborhood Profile
South Campus Area
Ames, IA | Story County
Scored premium profile
Best Neighborhoods USA Index
36.4
Stability and Strength
29.9
Value Opportunity
27.4
Momentum
59.3
Score note: Rankings show denominators so users always see the size of the eligible cohort.
| Context | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Ames, IA |
| County | Story County |
| National rank | #12,041 of 14,967 |
| State rank | #137 of 165 |
| City rank | #17 of 18 |
| County rank | #17 of 18 |
| National percentile | 19.6 |
| National band | LOWER_25_PERCENT |
Neighborhood Expert Opportunity
Become the Neighborhood Expert for this market
Inquire about this marketUnsold commercial placement. No local expert is currently assigned.
Housing and local fundamentals
| Housing and market metrics | Value |
|---|---|
| Current Zillow home value | $414,114 |
| Year-over-year home value change | 2.2% |
| Month-over-month home value change | -0.01% |
| Home value to income ratio | 9.52 |
| Median household income | $43,492 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 75.0% |
| Civilian unemployment rate | 9.1% |
| Homeownership rate | 16.8% |
| Housing vacancy rate | 24.8% |
| Rent burden 30% or higher | 61.4% |
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 South Campus Area
Is South Campus Area one of the best neighborhoods in Ames?
South Campus Area has a Best Neighborhoods USA Index of 36.4 and a city ranking of #17 of 18 eligible neighborhoods in Ames.
How much are homes worth in South Campus Area?
The current Zillow Home Value Index for South Campus Area is approximately $414,114.
Are home values rising or falling in South Campus Area?
Zillow neighborhood values changed 2.2% year over year and -0.01% month over month.
What is the Neighborhood Momentum Score for South Campus Area?
South Campus Area has a Neighborhood Momentum Score of 59.3. Momentum is 70% year-over-year and 30% month-over-month Zillow housing change.
What is the median household income in South Campus Area?
The NDS-derived neighborhood median household income is approximately $43,492.
How affordable is South Campus Area relative to household income?
The current Zillow home-value-to-household-income ratio is 9.52. Price-to-income affordability is a major Value Opportunity input.
Is South Campus Area primarily homeowners or renters?
The NDS-derived homeownership rate is approximately 16.8%.
What is the unemployment rate in South Campus Area?
The NDS-derived civilian unemployment rate is approximately 9.1%.
How educated are residents of South Campus Area?
Approximately 75.0% of residents age 25 and older are estimated to have a bachelor's degree or higher.
What share of renters in South Campus Area face high rent burden?
Approximately 61.4% 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 South Campus Area?
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
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 applications11
Estimated originations9
Home-purchase applications6
Origination rate78.6%
Home-purchase share55.0%
Average application loan$903,715
Total application loan amount$10,197,996
National application rank#12,244 of 14,874 rankable neighborhoods
Geometry coverage100.0%
Recent trend: Applications -23.3% YoY; originations -32.0% 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.