Baxter, IA

The affordability dashboard for Baxter, IA aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 1,681 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C+ (62/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $72,022, median home value of $206,300, median rent of $900 per month, and 19.7% 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 $1,008 per month (studio $784, 1BR $789, 3BR $1,348, 4BR $1,372). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $8,304 per year, consuming 12% 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 Baxter, IA include rent. Pressure points are education. Unemployment currently reads 1.4% and poverty 10.4% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.