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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Ames, IA crime analytics

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   18,000 local law enforcement agencies in the U.S.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:   "Reflects 2023 calendar year; released from FBI in October 2024 (latest available). Updated annually." Where is 2024 data?

Methodology:   Our nationwide meta-analysis overcomes the issues inherent in any crime database, including non-reporting and reporting errors. This is possible by associating the 9.4 million reported crimes in the U.S, including over 2 million geocoded point locations…. Read more about Scout's Crime Data

The crime rate in Ames is considerably higher than the national average across all communities in America from the largest to the smallest, although at 18 crimes per one thousand residents, it is not among the communities with the very highest crime rate. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Ames is 1 in 57. Based on FBI crime data, Ames is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Iowa, Ames has a crime rate that is higher than 90% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

However, compared to other communities of similar population size, Ames has a crime rate that is noticeably lower than the average. This means that for comparably sized cities all across America, Ames is actually safer than most according to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis of FBI crime data.

Now let us turn to take a look at how Ames does for violent crimes specifically, and then how it does for property crimes. This is important because the overall crime rate can be further illuminated by understanding if violent crime or property crimes (or both) are the major contributors to the general rate of crime in Ames.

From our analysis, we discovered that violent crime in Ames occurs at a rate higher than in most communities of all population sizes in America. The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in Ames; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 525. This equates to a rate of 2 per one thousand inhabitants.

NeighborhoodScout's analysis also reveals that Ames's rate for property crime is 16 per one thousand population. This makes Ames a place where there is an above average chance of becoming a victim of a property crime, when compared to all other communities in America of all population sizes. Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary. Your chance of becoming a victim of any of these crimes in Ames is one in 64.

Ames Crime Data

total Crime Index

24

(100 is safest)


Safer than 24% of U.S. cities.

Ames Annual Crimes

  Violent Property Total

Number of Crimes

125

1,026

1,151

Crime Rate
(per 1,000 residents)

1.90

15.62

17.52

Violent Crime

Violent Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents)

20 15 10 5 0
1.9
2.8
National Median: 4
    Ames
    Iowa

Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Violent Crime

1 in 525

in Ames

1 in 357

in Iowa

Ames Violent Crimes

Population: 65,686
Murder Rape Robbery Assault
Report Total 0 56 7 62
Rate per 1,000 0.00 0.85 0.11 0.94

United States Violent Crimes

Population: 334,914,895
Murder Rape Robbery Assault
Report Total 19,252 127,216 222,795 884,550
Rate per 1,000 0.06 0.38 0.67 2.64

Property Crime

Property Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents)

100 75 50 25 0
15.62
14.41
National Median: 19
    Ames
    Iowa

Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Property Crime

1 in 64

in Ames

1 in 69

in Iowa

Property Crimes

Population: 65,686
burglary theft motor vehicle theft
Report Total 116 866 44
Rate per 1,000 1.77 13.18 0.67

United States Property Crimes

Population: 334,914,895
burglary theft motor vehicle theft
Report Total 839,563 4,512,064 1,067,522
Rate per 1,000 2.51 13.47 3.19

Ames Crimes Per Square Mile

200 150 100 50 0
47
11
National Median: 26.5
    Ames
    Iowa