Elkton, VA

The affordability dashboard for Elkton, VA aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 10,388 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C- (53/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $70,519, median home value of $252,500, median rent of $861 per month, and 14.2% 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 $1,322 per month (studio $1,050, 1BR $1,057, 3BR $1,801, 4BR $2,125). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $10,115 per year, consuming 14% 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 education. Unemployment currently reads 2.5% and poverty 7.5% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.