

Moving from Burlington to Ames
Moving from Burlington to Ames: +$298/mo after tax & rent
BurlingtonAmesAbout 1,051 miles apart, a flight.
- Ames leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
$2,411/mo in Ames. $2,113/mo in Burlington. +$3,576 a year.
Burlington
$2,113
left each month
Ames
$2,411
+$298 vs Burlington
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Who already made this move
The IRS did not publish a large enough Burlington → 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 | Burlington | Ames |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home | $5,854 | $4,887 |
| Rent | $1,795 | $760 |
| All other costs | $1,946 | $1,716 |
| Left over | $2,113 | $2,411 |
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Burlington 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 1,261 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $2,950–$5,550
- Container or pod
- $2,100–$3,950
- Rent a truck
- $1,200–$2,200
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Dig into Ames
Questions
Is Ames cheaper than Burlington after tax and rent?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Ames leaves about $298 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,795 in Burlington and $760 in Ames.
Does Ames have state income tax?
Ames is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.
Did people actually move from Burlington 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.