Columbus, WI

The affordability dashboard for Columbus, WI aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 7,781 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of B- (65/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $84,044, median home value of $268,000, median rent of $900 per month, and 27.6% 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 $1,195 per month (studio $824, 1BR $911, 3BR $1,645, 4BR $1,798). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $10,920 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 Columbus, WI include rent. Unemployment currently reads 3.7% and poverty 6.6% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.