Augusta, ME

The affordability dashboard for Augusta, ME aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 26,086 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of D (44/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $54,775, median home value of $217,300, median rent of $950 per month, and 28.8% 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 $1,416 per month (studio $1,082, 1BR $1,090, 3BR $1,819, 4BR $2,158). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $11,960 per year, consuming 22% 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 housing, childcare. Unemployment currently reads 5.3% and poverty 15.0% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.