$371,675Average Value$216Average Price per Sq Ft3Homes For Sale
A neighborhood enmeshed with Iowa State’s campus
The South Campus Area is a coveted neighborhood with Ames’ beating heart, the Iowa State University campus. It benefits from walkable access to eclectic dining options, sprawling green spaces and Jack Trice Stadium, home to Iowa State’s NCAA Division I football program and a popular concert venue. “It’s a great little neighborhood, and it’s highly desirable,” says Realtor Mike Purcell, who sells homes in the South Campus Area with Friedrich Iowa Realty. “If you work on campus, that’s the neighborhood for you.”
The South Campus Area runs from the Iowa State Campus down to the Towers along Mortensen.
South Campus Area's proximity to Iowa State's campus places it close to Ames' beating heart.
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Well-established single-family homes and campus housing
The median single-family home price is $355,000, higher than the city and state medians. Single-family home prices range from roughly $155,000 to $560,000. “These are older homes, so they draw people who like established neighborhoods and large trees,” Purcell says. “The homes may be old, but they are very, very well maintained.” The South Campus Area offers a mix of Cape Cods, Tudor Revivals and bungalows built from the 1910s through the late ‘40s. There are also various ranch styles and split-levels built from the 1950s through the ‘70s. Early-2000s condos are priced from roughly $130,000 to $180,000. Additionally, multiple apartment buildings were constructed from the 1980s through the 2010s.
On the neighborhood’s north end, there are around two dozen Greek life houses. Over 800 students live at Wallace Residence Hall on the neighborhood’s southwest corner. “Big college parties are part of the environment for sure, but when you live close to campus, you know what you’re getting, and you have to embrace that lifestyle,” Purcell says.
Bungalows in various styles can be found throughout South Campus Area.
Several Tudor-style homes can be found in the South Campus Area.
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Eclectic cuisine on the city’s north end
Welch Avenue and Lincoln Way are lined with brick buildings housing local restaurants that contribute to the community's collegiate atmosphere. The Blue Owl Bar is a popular spot to shoot billiards, enjoy craft beer and watch sporting events. Tosca is a wood-furnished coffee house that serves fresh sandwiches and salads. There are also restaurants that serve Thai, Japanese and Brazilian fare. Grocery stores like Hy-Vee and Fareway Meat Market are less than five minutes away.
Ichiban serves up delicious authentic ramen and sushi in the South Campus Area.
Popular restaurants like the Pizza Pit line Welch Avenue in the South Campus Area.
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Big 12 sporting events and cultural venues throughout South Campus Area
Jack Trice Stadium fills up with over 60,000 fans for Iowa State football games. “There’s a lot of traffic on gamedays, but you can also walk directly to the stadium,” Purcell says. The stadium has also hosted internationally renowned musical acts, including the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and George Strait. The mens and womens basketball teams play at Hilton Coliseum, on the eastern side of the neighborhood. Next to the coliseum, the university has two performing arts buildings and Brunnier Art Museum, a collection of decorative arts. In the neighborhood’s southeast corner, Reiman Gardens offers an indoor conservatory, several greenhouses and an indoor butterfly wing. The 17-acre space holds events like art fairs and an annual spring festival with live music and local craft vendors.
South Campus Area residents enjoy concerts and theater at Stephens Auditorium.
Just south of South Campus Area residents enjoy Gateway Park and the ISU Ice Arena.
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University sports facilities also host local athletic leagues
Iowa State’s track and field and cross-country programs practice and hold meets at Cyclone Sports Complex, which has pole vault areas, a 400-meter track, multiple soccer fields and a softball field. Southwest Recreation Complex has multiple soccer fields, ultimate frisbee fields, softball fields and volleyball courts where Iowa State teams practice and local recreational leagues play games. Iowa State’s cross-country course is immediately south of the recreation complex, and is open to the public when events are not being held. In the southern area of the neighborhood, Gateway Park has a playground, picnic areas, a disc golf course, hiking trails and volleyball courts.
South Campus Area residents can enjoy a game of tennis at nearby Brookside Park.
Campustown and the South Campus Area are as much Iowa State as the actual campus across Lincoln Way.
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The A-minus Niche-rated Ames Community School District
Students here may begin at Sawyer Elementary School, rated B on Niche. The school has a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio, which is below the national average. Students move on to Ames Middle School, also rated B, and Ames High School, which has an A-minus. The high school opened its new $137 million building in 2022. All three schools have math and reading proficiencies above state and national averages.
Ames Middle School helps South Campus Area students grow academically and socially.
Ames High School offers South Campus Area students endless opportunities to excel.
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Traveling around Ames
Mary Greeley Medical Center is just less than two miles east of the South Campus Area. Des Moines International Airport is about 40 miles south of the neighborhood via Interstate 35. Many of the neighborhood’s streets are lined with public bus stops that connect residents to the rest of the city.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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University Boulevard & Mortensen Parkway Southbound
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Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
South Campus Area
US
Homicide
7
4
Sexual Assault
4
4
Assault with Weapon
4
4
Robbery
3
4
Burglary
7
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
6
4
Larceny
4
4
Crime Score
5
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
South Campus Area Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in South Campus Area, Ames sell after 20 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in South Campus Area, Ames over the last 12 months is $340,500, consistent with the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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