Rent Affordability in Ames, IA on $60k
At $60,000/yr, median rent would be about 19.76% of gross income. This falls in the “Very affordable” bucket, and the recommended rent ceiling at this salary is $1,500/mo. In this area (mid-range), the model’s rent math puts housing in a “Comfortable” bucket: rent looks comparatively manageable and rent (housing) is the main lever in the estimates.
Cost-of-living tier: moderate
What drives the budget here?
This area is generally mid-range based on a cost-of-living index of 100 (U.S. average = 100). Typical rent-to-gross is in the Comfortable range (using the page’s rent and income inputs).
In the site’s estimated monthly breakdown, the largest category is Rent (housing) (988/mo), so that’s the biggest lever for moving the overall budget up or down.
Practical next steps
- Rent looks comparatively manageable for the typical household. Your biggest wins usually come from planning for the non-housing categories (utilities, groceries, etc.) so totals stay predictable.
Your budget
Monthly gross: $5,000 · After-tax (est.): $3,644.75
30% rule threshold: $1,500/mo max rent
Median rent in Ames
1BR: $884/mo · 2BR: $1,092/mo · Midpoint: $988/mo
Rent burden (rent as % of gross): 19.76%
Verdict: Very affordable
Median rent is $512 below your 30% max.
Recommended rent range
$1,250 – $1,500/mo (25–30% of gross)