Ely, MN

The affordability dashboard for Ely, MN aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 5,820 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C+ (61/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $62,008, median home value of $206,000, median rent of $644 per month, and 40.5% 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 $1,232 per month (studio $849, 1BR $978, 3BR $1,689, 4BR $2,067). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $10,972 per year, consuming 18% 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 Ely, MN include commute. Unemployment currently reads 2.2% and poverty 10.1% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.