Columbus, MS

The affordability dashboard for Columbus, MS aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 3 ZIP codes covering 50,547 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C+ (60/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $52,285, median home value of $160,557, median rent of $953 per month, and 28.3% 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 $872 per month (studio $738, 1BR $743, 3BR $1,195, 4BR $1,263). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $5,886 per year, consuming 11% 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 Columbus, MS include rent. Pressure points are income. Unemployment currently reads 6.9% and poverty 19.2% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.