Housing Needs Assessment

Story County contracted with RDG in 2020 to complete a comprehensive housing needs
assessment.

The purpose of the study and assessment is to identify existing and future housing stock throughout Story County (excluding the City of Ames) and to identify strategies that will help ensure the housing market provides housing opportunities for all income levels. It provides an analysis of affordability throughout the housing market for all population segments of the County.

The last comprehensive housing needs assessment conducted by Story County was compiled in July 1998. Much changed in the past 20 years. The Story County Housing Study stems from the initiative of leaders and residents in Story County recognizing these changes the need for a strategy forward.

The study provides an in-depth analysis of the current and future needs for affordable, workforce, and other housing options to bridge gaps in housing demand and supply. Each strategy in the study is tied to a wealth of information which forms a picture of Story County’s housing market today. The information includes qualitative and quantitative sources to analyze factors for each individual community in Story County, except for Ames, and for the unincorporated areas in the County. The strategies recognize the influence of Ames on the county’s other communities.