Elk, CA

The affordability dashboard for Elk, CA aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 426 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of A- (82/100). The headline inputs are median household income of —, median home value of $773,700, median rent of $1,625 per month, and 49.4% 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 $1,713 per month (studio $1,269, 1BR $1,306, 3BR $2,382, 4BR $2,789). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $14,459 per year.

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 Elk, CA include education. Unemployment currently reads 30.4% and poverty 34.2% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.