Dana, IN

The affordability dashboard for Dana, IN aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 1,077 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C (55/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $53,924, median home value of $62,700, median rent of $643 per month, and 3.1% 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 $1,094 per month (studio $859, 1BR $864, 3BR $1,312, 4BR $1,535).

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 Dana, IN include housing. Pressure points are education. Unemployment currently reads 6.9% and poverty 18.9% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.