Calais, VT

The affordability dashboard for Calais, VT aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 423 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 $71,719, median home value of $428,300, median rent of $1,444 per month, and 61.6% 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 $1,482 per month (studio $1,122, 1BR $1,129, 3BR $1,824, 4BR $1,962).

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 Calais, VT include education. Pressure points are housing. Unemployment currently reads 0.0% and poverty 12.0% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.