

Moving from Billings to Ames
Moving from Billings to Ames: +$97/mo after tax & rent
BillingsAmesAbout 793 miles apart, a flight.
- Ames leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
$2,413/mo in Ames. $2,316/mo in Billings. +$1,164 a year.
Billings
$2,316
left each month
Ames
$2,413
+$97 vs Billings
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Who already made this move
The IRS did not publish a large enough Billings → Ames pair for 2022-2023. That usually means fewer than a few dozen tax returns, not that nobody moved.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
See full breakdown
| Per month | Billings | Ames |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home | $5,384 | $4,889 |
| Rent | $1,101 | $760 |
| All other costs | $1,967 | $1,716 |
| Left over | $2,316 | $2,413 |
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Billings and Ames changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
What the move itself costs
About 951 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $2,600–$4,900
- Container or pod
- $1,850–$3,450
- Rent a truck
- $950–$1,850
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Dig into Ames
Questions
Is Ames cheaper than Billings after tax and rent?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Ames leaves about $97 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,101 in Billings and $760 in Ames.
Does Ames have state income tax?
Ames is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.
Did people actually move from Billings to Ames?
Yes, when the IRS published that flow. The count and their average income are on this page. Leftover prices the same household in both cities.