Akashic
1892–2024
Akashic
Ames, IA
presidential margin
2008D+14.22012D+12.22016D+6.62020D+9.72024D+2.8
full record · 1892 → 2024
D+2.8
2024
median income$72,589U.S. $80,734 · IA $75,059
median age30.2U.S. 39.1 · IA 38.8
poverty rate15.7%U.S. 12.5% · IA 11.1%
bachelor’s+ (25+)49.3%U.S. 35.6% · IA 31.8%
non-english9.3%U.S. 22.3% · IA 9.2%
race · ethnicity · ancestry
German29.9%
Irish11.1%
English10.8%
Chinese1.5%
Asian Indian1.1%
Korean0.9%
Mexican2.8%
Puerto Rican0.3%
Guatemalan0.2%
African American†1.5%
African0.4%
Sudanese0.2%
religion
other traditions
Latter-day Saints1.5%
Orthodox0.5%
Buddhist0.4%
Other Christian0.3%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents, unaffiliated is the unclaimed remainder.

Ames, IA, Iowa

Akashic
Ames, IAHarrisD+2.8
—
2024 presidential margin by county for Ames, IA, IAA map of the constituent counties of Ames, IA, IA, each outlined and filled by its 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), seated within the faint outlines of the surrounding states.Boone County, IA · R+21.5Story County, IA · D+10.3
How it voted
Share of the 2024 vote
Kamala Harris ✓Democratic50.3%32,660
Donald TrumpRepublican47.5%30,864
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.We The People2.2%1,405
D+60
R+60
2 counties, each filled by 2024 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
County-level results (2 counties) — table
2024 presidential result by county for Ames, IA, IA — winner and D-vs-R margin.
CountyWinnerMargin
Boone County, IARepublicanR+21.5
Story County, IADemocraticD+10.3
34 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
YearWonDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
D
50.3%Harris32,660
47.5%Trump30,864
2.2%Kennedy1,405
+2.8%
64,929
D
53.4%Biden35,478
43.7%Trump29,035
2.8%Jorgensen1,865
+9.7%
66,378
D
47.9%Clinton31,250
41.3%Trump26,942
10.9%Johnson7,092
+6.6%
65,284
D
54.8%Obama33,704
42.6%Romney26,224
2.6%Johnson1,610
+12.2%
61,538
D
56.0%Obama33,904
41.8%McCain25,288
2.2%Nader1,312
+14.2%
60,504
D
51.7%Kerry30,323
47.2%Bush27,689
1.1%Other649
+4.5%
58,661
D
49.9%Gore23,748
45.9%Bush21,853
4.2%Nader2,012
+4.0%
47,613
D
53.2%Clinton23,680
37.6%Dole16,761
9.2%Perot4,089
+15.5%
44,530
D
47.5%Clinton23,031
34.7%Bush16,850
17.8%Perot8,649
+12.7%
48,530
D
58.7%Dukakis26,283
40.6%Bush18,163
0.8%Larouche345
+18.1%
44,791
R
48.9%Mondale24,762
50.4%Reagan25,550
0.7%Larouche375
−1.6%
50,687
R
37.7%Carter18,655
43.6%Reagan21,561
18.7%Anderson9,242
−5.9%
49,458
R
46.7%Carter22,312
49.9%Ford23,807
3.4%McCarthy1,620
−3.1%
47,739
R
44.7%McGovern19,029
53.8%Nixon22,888
1.5%Schmitz659
−9.1%
42,576
R
42.2%Humphrey14,675
53.5%Nixon18,587
4.3%Wallace1,509
−11.3%
34,771
D
62.7%Johnson20,028
36.7%Goldwater11,731
0.6%Hass186
+26.0%
31,945
R
38.9%Kennedy13,040
61.0%Nixon20,469
0.1%Byrd22
−22.2%
33,531
R
37.8%Stevenson12,167
62.1%Eisenhower20,004
0.1%Andrews33
−24.3%
32,204
R
31.6%Stevenson10,195
67.5%Eisenhower21,758
0.9%Hallinan290
−35.9%
32,243
R
45.9%Truman11,693
49.0%Dewey12,490
5.1%Thurmond1,290
−3.1%
25,473
D
50.8%Roosevelt12,616
48.5%Dewey12,031
0.7%Thomas174
+2.4%
24,821
D
52.0%Roosevelt14,320
47.5%Willkie13,080
0.5%Thomas139
+4.5%
27,539
D
55.6%Roosevelt14,013
41.5%Landon10,468
2.9%Lemke736
+14.1%
25,217
D
48.1%Roosevelt10,931
45.9%Hoover10,429
6.0%Thomas1,354
+2.2%
22,714
R
25.4%Smith5,763
73.0%Hoover16,556
1.6%Thomas355
−47.6%
22,674
R
9.2%Davis2,012
54.3%Coolidge11,896
36.5%La Follette7,988
−45.1%
21,896
R
20.0%Cox4,149
76.1%Harding15,806
3.9%Debs809
−56.1%
20,764
R
36.5%Wilson4,110
59.3%Hughes6,677
4.2%Benson475
−22.8%
11,262
O
25.4%Wilson2,825
18.4%Taft2,049
56.1%Roosevelt6,240
Roosevelt +30.7
11,114
R
28.2%Bryan3,153
64.1%Taft7,158
7.7%Debs859
−35.9%
11,170
R
17.6%Parker1,900
71.7%Roosevelt7,749
10.7%Debs1,161
−54.1%
10,810
R
29.2%Bryan3,607
66.3%McKinley8,183
4.5%Woolley558
−37.1%
12,348
R
36.9%Bryan4,390
61.9%McKinley7,371
1.3%Palmer151
−25.0%
11,912
R
34.2%Cleveland3,246
60.6%Harrison5,756
5.2%Weaver497
−26.4%
9,499
presidential history
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over timeDemocratic-minus-Republican presidential margin from 1892 to 2024. Most recent: +2.8% in 2024.flipped D · 1988+2.8%DR18922024
Presidential margin over time
YearMargin (D minus R)
1892−26.4%
1896−25.0%
1900−37.1%
1904−54.1%
1908−35.9%
1912+7.0%
1916−22.8%
1920−56.1%
1924−45.1%
1928−47.6%
1932+2.2%
1936+14.1%
1940+4.5%
1944+2.4%
1948−3.1%
1952−35.9%
1956−24.3%
1960−22.2%
1964+26.0%
1968−11.3%
1972−9.1%
1976−3.1%
1980−5.9%
1984−1.6%
1988+18.1%
1992+12.7%
1996+15.5%
2000+4.0%
2004+4.5%
2008+14.2%
2012+12.2%
2016+6.6%
2020+9.7%
2024+2.8%
DemocraticRepublican
voter registration
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Voter registration in Ames, IARegistered voters by party of registration, 2008–2024. Latest total 90,250 in 2024.23.1K46.1K69.2K92.3K90.3K20082024
DemocraticRepublicanUnaffiliatedOther parties
Voter registration in Ames, IA
YearTotal registeredDemocraticRepublicanUnaffiliatedOther
200891,14630,28123,76636,941158
201083,53626,87723,18733,277195
201287,65227,38524,87435,106287
201483,98324,83524,05734,623468
201688,42127,93526,27933,355852
201889,12828,28925,36934,3191,151
202092,26432,62726,49131,9921,154
202290,37930,71625,94032,5621,161
202490,25028,23926,62934,2691,113
Source: Iowa Secretary of State

Home to Iowa State University, Ames pulls its metro's median age down and its college-educated share up, producing a voting coalition that has swung between parties by double digits in recent presidential cycles.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 26.0 points in 1964 and a Republican high of 56.1 points in 1920. Between 2020 and 2024 the metro moved 6.9 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 2.8 points.

A population of 127,134, a 84% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $72,589 describe the metro. The metro's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Iowa City, IA and Vermillion, SD.

Political twins — metros

The metros whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.

Iowa City, IA
92.2twin score
college sharemedian age2012–2020 trajectory≠ 2024 margin
Vermillion, SD
91.4twin score
2016–2024 trajectorycollege share≠ population scale
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
86.4twin score
2000–2024 trajectory≠ population scale

Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.

Compare two places, side by side

Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →

Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Ames, IA, Iowa. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cbsa/11180/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Places within Ames, IA

counties2
Boone CountyStory County

Frequently asked questions

How did Ames, IA, Iowa vote in 2024?
In 2024, Ames, IA, Iowa voted Democratic by 2.8 points (D+2.8), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 64,929 votes cast, 32,660 went Democratic and 30,864 went Republican.
When did Ames, IA, Iowa last vote Republican?
The most recent presidential election in which Ames, IA, Iowa voted Republican was 1984.
How many people live in Ames, IA, Iowa?
Ames, IA, Iowa has a population of 127,134 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Ames, IA, Iowa?
Median household income in Ames, IA, Iowa is $72,589 — below the national median of $80,734. The Iowa state median is $75,059.
What is the political history of Ames, IA, Iowa?
Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Ames, IA, Iowa from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 15 went Democratic and 18 went Republican.