Ames, IA
The rest of the month in Ames
$2,470 in modelled household costs, against $4,891 take-home. Leftover is $2,421.
Where the money goes
- Taxes$1,339
- Rent$754
- Other living costs$1,716
- Left over$2,421
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $74,766
- Federal income tax
- −$8,063
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$5,720
- State income tax (IA)
- −$2,286
- Take-home pay
- $58,698
- Effective tax rate
- 21.5%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $754
- Groceries
- $347
- Getting around
- $457
- Healthcare
- $391
- Utilities and internet
- $217
- Everything else
- $304
- Total spending
- $2,470
Left over each month
$6,231 gross, minus $1,339 in tax and $2,470 in living costs.
$2,421
Power bill, separately
EIA 2024 residential electricity in IA averages a $123 monthly bill at 900 kWh. The utilities line above already includes power, gas and water as a household bundle — this is the state rate as a cross-check, not an extra cost.
Non-housing lines start from BLS-order-of-magnitude national spending, then scale by this metro's cost index and your household size. Electricity rates are EIA state averages. Not a budget, not advice.