Cathlamet, WA

The affordability dashboard for Cathlamet, WA aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 2,704 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of F (35/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $59,583, median home value of $429,600, median rent of $790 per month, and 21.1% 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 $1,137 per month (studio $798, 1BR $1,021, 3BR $1,581, 4BR $1,907). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $18,580 per year, consuming 31% 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 education, housing, childcare. Unemployment currently reads 3.2% and poverty 17.9% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.