Rental numbers for the Ames, IA metro
The typical home here runs -$1,204 a month at 7.78% with 25% down. 0 of 3 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this metro are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 4.6%.
- Gross yield
- 4.8%
- typical home, Zillow
- Median ZIP yield
- 4.6%
- 3 ZIPs with full data
- Cash flow
- -$1,204/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $280,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $1,122/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
ZIP codes in the metro
19 with published figures
| 50107Grand Junction | $123,000 | $1,060* | 10.4% | 5.4% | -$108 | n/a |
| 50223Pilot Mound | $184,000 | $920* | 6.0% | 2.0% | -$680 | n/a |
| 50217Paton | $210,000 | $930* | 5.3% | 1.9% | -$796 | n/a |
| 50056Colo | $263,000 | $1,130* | 5.1% | 1.5% | -$1,099 | n/a |
| 50278Zearing | $269,000 | $1,130* | 5.1% | 1.6% | -$1,091 | n/a |
| 50236Roland | $263,000 | $1,080* | 4.9% | 1.4% | -$1,105 | n/a |
| 50010Ames | $297,000 | $1,198 | 4.8% | 1.3% | -$1,274 | +5.8% |
| 50201Nevada | $249,000 | $1,000* | 4.8% | 1.1% | -$1,116 | n/a |
| 50212Ogden | $239,000 | $960* | 4.8% | 1.3% | -$1,040 | n/a |
| 50154McCallsburg | $242,000 | $960* | 4.8% | 1.6% | -$992 | n/a |
| 50014Ames | $315,000 | $1,211 | 4.6% | 1.2% | -$1,383 | +0.2% |
| 50124Huxley | $345,000 | $1,300* | 4.5% | 0.9% | -$1,599 | n/a |
| 50055Collins | $280,000 | $1,010* | 4.3% | 0.7% | -$1,358 | n/a |
| 50046Cambridge | $339,000 | $1,220* | 4.3% | 1.0% | -$1,538 | n/a |
| 50248Story City | $290,000 | $1,040* | 4.3% | 0.9% | -$1,332 | n/a |
| 50156Madrid | $287,000 | $1,020* | 4.3% | 0.9% | -$1,333 | n/a |
| 50036Boone | $212,000 | $732 | 4.1% | 0.4% | -$1,081 | n/a |
| 50105Gilbert | $341,000 | $1,050* | 3.7% | 0.4% | -$1,739 | n/a |
| 50134Kelley | $352,000 | $1,070* | 3.6% | 0.6% | -$1,720 | n/a |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, where Zillow publishes no rent index. Conservative.
Trends
Five years to August 2026
- Price, 12 months
- +2.9%
- Rent, 12 months
- +3.4%
- Rent minus price growth
- +0.5 pts
- Property tax
- 1.33%
- effective rate, ACS 2024
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $228,605 | $920 |
| Aug 2022 | $251,048 | $952 |
| Aug 2023 | $261,878 | $974 |
| Aug 2024 | $262,083 | $1,053 |
| Aug 2025 | $271,972 | $1,085 |
| Aug 2026 | $279,794 | $1,122 |
Counties
- Story County, IA4.7% median yield
- Boone County, IA4.1% median yield
- Greene County, IAn/a median yield
Tools
Questions
- Is the Ames, IA metro good for rental property?
- The typical home here runs -$1,204 a month at 7.78% with 25% down. 0 of 3 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this metro are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 4.6%. Figures assume a typical home, 7.78% with 25% down and the default costs on the methodology page.
- Which ZIP codes in the Ames, IA metro have the highest rental yield?
- 50010 (Ames) at 4.8%, 50014 (Ames) at 4.6%, 50036 (Boone) at 4.1%, on Zillow value and rent. The full table above sorts by any column.
Sources and method
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), mid tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical home value by ZIP, county, metro and state, and the price trend.
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), all homes plus multifamily, smoothed
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical market rent by ZIP, county and metro, and the rent trend (tier A pages).
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2026
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2026.
Rent by bedroom count for every ZIP. The rent used on tier B pages, and a reference on all pages. It is the 40th percentile gross rent, so it runs below market.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (B25103 median real estate taxes paid, B25077 median home value, B11001 households)
US Census Bureau. Read: 2020 to 2024.
Effective property tax rate (median taxes paid divided by median value) by ZIP code tabulation area, county and state; households for the permits ratio.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed (FRED series MORTGAGE30US)
Freddie Mac via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Read: 2026-09-24.
The weekly 30-year rate. The site adds a disclosed investor premium to it for the loan payment.
Data: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI), HUD, US Census Bureau, Freddie Mac. Every formula is on the methodology page.
Estimates from public data for a typical property. Not investment, tax or legal advice. Your property, financing and costs will differ.