Older students are more inclined to move out of the Department of Residence in favor of off-campus apartments, especially in west Ames.

The change may be partially because of cheap rent in the area.

Alex Koenigs, junior in political science, said after living in the dorms, he chose to live in west Ames over Campustown apartments because of the price.

“It was all-around the best price, a lot cheaper than Campustown,” he said. “In Campustown you pay a hundred dollars more just for location.”

Pete Englin, director of the DOR, said the department has many advantages that appeal to students.

“We have proximity and convenience as advantages,” he said. “We’re also much better able to create community and a connection to Iowa State. I don’t care if you’re from Ames or another state, you’re transplanted here when you start at Iowa State.”

Englin said the advantages of living in university housing can compete with the lower price of apartments, noting leadership opportunities and providing help to students in addition to convenience and location.

“We think we can offset the cost issue as a total package,” he said. “We staff at a different level so we can assist students to overcome those obstacles. We also think we add to the skill set with the opportunities we provide.”

Julie Lenz, a property manager for Hunziker Property Management, said students may choose to live in west Ames because of the lower rent, regardless of location.

“From the feedback I get, location is not a problem because CyRide is convenient everywhere. I think they’re looking more at the base rent than they are location,” she among landlords.

Clint Varley, assistant manager for Jensen Property Management, said Jensen has reduced their prices because of competition in Ames.

“Not competition just [in west Ames] but Ames in general,” he said.

“We just try and stay as competitive as we can.”

Lenz said Hunziker has also lowered prices around Ames.

“I guess I can’t say that [rental prices] have been reduced in just west Ames, it has been on all our properties as well,” she said. “Ours is just across the board.”

Koenigs said he gets more for his money in west Ames.

“At Sterling you have a washer and dryer in each unit,” he said. “You also get free parking spaces, at Legacy you have to pay for those.”

Andrew Ighedo, junior in industrial engineering, said he wanted to live in west Ames because he liked the environment.

“[West Ames] is more what I like,” he said.

“It is quieter, more residential.”

Ighedo also said it is cheaper than living in the dorms.

Englin said more upperclassman have been moving out of on-campus housing.

“We’re still housing the same percentage of first-year students that we always have,” he said. “Where we’ve seen a change is a decline in the percentage of upper-class students that make up our community.”

Englin said there are more sophomores in the DOR then in previous years, which helps to make up for the decline in upper-class students.