Crystal, MI

The affordability dashboard for Crystal, MI aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 2,407 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of D (46/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $55,924, median home value of $191,700, median rent of $811 per month, and 21.5% 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 $1,203 per month (studio $829, 1BR $1,016, 3BR $1,473, 4BR $1,593). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $6,926 per year, consuming 12% 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, commute. Unemployment currently reads 6.4% and poverty 12.1% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.