Detroit, MI

The affordability dashboard for Detroit, MI aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 25 ZIP codes covering 673,342 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of F (37/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $39,750, median home value of $102,588, median rent of $1,059 per month, and 17.0% 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 $1,411 per month (studio $1,009, 1BR $1,122, 3BR $1,724, 4BR $1,868). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $9,214 per year, consuming 23% 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 Detroit, MI include housing. Pressure points are income, education, rent, childcare. Unemployment currently reads 14.5% and poverty 32.8% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.