Alachua, FL

The affordability dashboard for Alachua, FL aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 2 ZIP codes covering 15,167 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C+ (63/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $85,701, median home value of $297,200, median rent of $1,267 per month, and 35.8% of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher. These four metrics alone explain most of the variance between city dashboards.

Cross-agency feeds widen the picture beyond Census demographics. HUD publishes a Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in this county at $1,493 per month (studio $1,154, 1BR $1,246, 3BR $1,868, 4BR $1,977). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $13,000 per year, consuming 15% of the local median household income.

Reading the overall grade requires reading all seven dimensions together. The score weights Income 20%, Safety 20%, Housing 15%, Rent 15%, Education 10%, Commute 10%, and Childcare 10%, with each sub-score benchmarked against national percentiles rather than state averages — so the grade is genuinely comparable across any city in the country. Strengths visible in the raw data for Alachua, FL include rent. Unemployment currently reads 2.5% and poverty 10.3% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.