Central, SC

The affordability dashboard for Central, SC aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 14,186 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of D (48/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $55,264, median home value of $234,500, median rent of $906 per month, and 40.0% 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 $1,339 per month (studio $1,166, 1BR $1,221, 3BR $1,612, 4BR $1,943). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $10,344 per year, consuming 19% 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 housing, childcare. Unemployment currently reads 4.7% and poverty 20.5% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.