Apache Junction, AZ

The affordability dashboard for Apache Junction, AZ aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 2 ZIP codes covering 49,387 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of D (45/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $63,715, median home value of $205,969, median rent of $1,189 per month, and 18.4% 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 $1,839 per month (studio $1,457, 1BR $1,583, 3BR $2,452, 4BR $2,720). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $10,855 per year, consuming 17% 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. Pressure points are education, rent. Unemployment currently reads 6.6% and poverty 10.2% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.