Cullman, AL

The affordability dashboard for Cullman, AL aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 3 ZIP codes covering 41,993 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C+ (62/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $66,922, median home value of $215,022, median rent of $921 per month, and 23.0% 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 $879 per month (studio $666, 1BR $670, 3BR $1,137, 4BR $1,381). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $7,016 per year, consuming 10% 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 Cullman, AL include rent. Pressure points are education. Unemployment currently reads 2.6% and poverty 14.3% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.