Ames safety
What should an Ames home review beyond agency crime rows and county risk?
Overall Safety is unavailable. The current agency rows list 154.37 violent crimes per 100,000 and 1,514.69 property crimes per 100,000 in 2024. They are Ames Police Department annual rates, not a judgment about every block. Visit the exact street, review lighting and entries, and ask how university events, traffic, parking, and winter conditions affect the home.
Story County hazard rows show Low natural-disaster, flood, wildfire, and heat risk, High storm and drought risk, and 11 major disaster declarations since 2000. Review FEMA information, basement, drainage, tornado shelter, power, insurance, alerts, snow and ice, and the route to care for the exact property.
The safety picture
Start with the overall picture, then look at the details that matter for daily life.
- Violent Crime
- 154 per 100k
- Property Crime
- 1,515 per 100k
Very Good
Very Good
Day to day confidence
Nighttime comfort, response, scams, stability, and solo living add practical context.
- Major Disaster Declarations Since 2000
- 11
Weather and natural risks
Review each risk in its own right before choosing a neighborhood or property.
- Natural Disaster Risk
- Low
- Flood Risk
- Low
- Wildfire Risk
- Low
- Storm Risk
- High
- Heat Risk
- Low
- Drought Risk
- High
Ames in everyday life
Could Ames work for you?
What may work well
- The current route keeps Overall Safety unavailable while preserving agency-specific 2024 crime rows.
- County rows identify low flood and wildfire risk alongside high storm and drought prompts.
- FEMA, city, insurer, and exact-street questions give a household concrete preparation steps.
What to think about
- Overall Safety is unavailable, and agency rows do not answer every block's experience.
- High storm and drought risk, 11 disaster declarations, and severe winter require property and route preparation.
- University activity, traffic, parking, ice, and power loss can affect daily safety beyond the crime rows.
Give an Ames safety review four layers
Walk the exact block
Visit in daylight, after dark, and in winter weather. Check lighting, entries, sidewalks, crossings, traffic, parking, noise, and the way home.
Review storm and shelter plans
Use FEMA and local guidance to inspect basement, shelter, roof, trees, drainage, power, insurance, alerts, and road closures.
Keep care accessible
Map hospital, pharmacy, primary-care, family, and emergency routes for storms, ice, power loss, university schedule changes, and road disruption.
Ask current local questions
Speak with the city, county, insurer, neighbors, property manager, and transit staff about lighting, repairs, snow, alerts, drainage, and access.
Questions retirees ask
Is Ames safe for retirement?
Overall Safety is unavailable. The 2024 Ames agency rows list 154.37 violent and 1,514.69 property crimes per 100,000, while exact-street and county hazard review are still needed.
What does High storm risk mean for a home?
It is a Story County row, not a parcel prediction. Review shelter, roof, trees, basement, alerts, power, insurance, road closures, and the route to care.
Why does winter belong in the safety review?
Ice and severe cold can change footing, lighting, driving, pharmacy access, hospital trips, power needs, and the time required to reach a safe indoor destination.
Do 11 disaster declarations mean a home will be damaged?
No. They are county-level history from 2000 through 2025. Use them to prompt a property-specific review of storms, drought, drainage, shelter, insurance, and power.
Ames needs a layered safety review: dated agency crime rows, an exact-street visit, Story County storm and drought information, a severe-weather shelter plan, winter footing, and a reliable route to care.
Sources
Safety depends on the neighborhood, the places you go each day, transportation, and personal comfort.
Use official local sources and recent neighborhood-level context before choosing where to stay, rent, or buy.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer
Used for Violent Crime, Property Crime
Checked 2024-12-31
- Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index
Used for Natural Disaster Risk, Flood Risk, Wildfire Risk, Storm Risk, Heat Risk, Drought Risk
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (OpenFEMA)
Used for Major Disaster Declarations Since 2000
Not yet available for this place: Overall Safety.
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