Deep Gap, NC

The affordability dashboard for Deep Gap, NC aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 2,352 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of D (47/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $59,653, median home value of $338,400, median rent of $1,250 per month, and 34.8% 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 $1,177 per month (studio $822, 1BR $988, 3BR $1,504, 4BR $1,974). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $9,380 per year, consuming 16% 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 housing. Unemployment currently reads 4.3% and poverty 10.5% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.