Bessemer, AL

The affordability dashboard for Bessemer, AL aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 3 ZIP codes covering 71,463 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C (55/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $59,928, median home value of $160,653, median rent of $1,104 per month, and 19.2% 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 $1,266 per month (studio $1,024, 1BR $1,155, 3BR $1,583, 4BR $1,801). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $7,635 per year, consuming 13% 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 Bessemer, AL include housing. Pressure points are education. Unemployment currently reads 6.8% and poverty 20.0% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.