Benzonia, MI

The affordability dashboard for Benzonia, MI aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 1,974 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C- (54/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $57,982, median home value of $221,600, median rent of $1,029 per month, and 24.6% 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 $1,224 per month (studio $904, 1BR $937, 3BR $1,586, 4BR $1,720). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $6,906 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 Benzonia, MI include commute. Pressure points are education. Unemployment currently reads 5.5% and poverty 22.3% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.