Galax, VA

The affordability dashboard for Galax, VA aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 17,996 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C- (51/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $47,730, median home value of $155,400, median rent of $763 per month, and 17.2% 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 $914 per month (studio $765, 1BR $770, 3BR $1,271, 4BR $1,481). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $6,167 per year, consuming 13% 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 income, education. Unemployment currently reads 6.2% and poverty 23.0% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.