How Important Is Iowa State University to the City of Ames?

Iowa State University and the Iowa State Cyclones mean a lot to the city of Ames.

Ames Tribune Old building. on 5th Street. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Iowa State is a unique school in the sense that they are located in one of the true college towns in America.

With a total population of around 66,000 residents, Ames, IA, is among some of the smallest Power Four college towns in the entire country. Many argue that Iowa State creates Ames, and that without the university, the city would be second to none. So how important is Iowa State to the city of Ames?

Ames is the eighth-largest city in Iowa, a state with a somewhat low population. That’s pretty low for arguably the biggest college in the state. And if you take away all the students in town, it would be all the way down to the 17th-largest city in the state, around other small towns such as Marshalltown.

Iowa State contributes to the economy of the city and the state immensely. Per the Iowa Board of Regents, the university contributes six billion dollars annually to the state. That’s an entire 2.5% of the state’s total gross product. The total amount that the city of Ames contributes is 8.62 billion USD, which essentially means over 73% of the city's economic contribution to the state comes strictly from the university.

Iowa State is immensley important to Ames

Iowa State cornerback Seth Johnson (3) celebrates with cornerback Beni Ngoyi (5) after a fumble recovery against West Virginia during the fourth quarter of a Big 12 Conference football game on Oct. 3, 2026, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

And sports are a massive part of the school, of course. The Iowa State Cyclones are one of the best athletic programs in the entire nation, pulling in over 60,000 people on a college football game day and over 14,000 for a college basketball game. And those are just attendees of the game. Many show up and spend the day in town just to have a good time tailgating and watching the game locally amongst other fans.

The benefits of having a college in a small town are massive, and Ames is definitely one of those places that really thrives by having a college around it.

There is a ton of nightlife, solid food options both near campus and downtown, and more to do than many people may think for such a small place. It’s a much better town than many may expect, and it certainly has a different vibe than most small towns in the state of Iowa.

But the reality is, Iowa State has made the city of Ames into much more of a destination than many people had expected. And without the school in town, Ames is pretty much just another small city in Iowa.