There are 2 Goodwill stores within about 15 miles of Ames. Thriftly scores each one by how well-off the surrounding neighborhoods are, since stores in higher-income areas tend to get the better drop-offs. The full ranking is below, best odds first.
Best odds first. Tap a store for directions.
3718 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA
2.5 mi from downtown Ames · Modest surrounding area
Right now the Ames location has the highest Goods Score (36 out of 100). The score reflects how affluent the surrounding neighborhoods are, which is a strong proxy for donation quality, and it refreshes as Census and store data update.
Each store gets a 0 to 100 Goods Score built from four U.S. Census measures of the area within about three miles: median home value, household income, share of college graduates, and median rent. Stores with wealthier surrounding neighborhoods score higher.
Thriftly tracks 2 Goodwill stores within 15 miles of Ames, using OpenStreetMap data. A store won't show up if it isn't tagged in OpenStreetMap, so coverage can be incomplete.