Grand Rapids, MI

The affordability dashboard for Grand Rapids, MI aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 12 ZIP codes covering 348,860 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of B- (66/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $78,102, median home value of $277,462, median rent of $1,277 per month, and 41.6% 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 $1,531 per month (studio $1,232, 1BR $1,278, 3BR $1,980, 4BR $2,189). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $9,006 per year, consuming 12% 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 Grand Rapids, MI include commute. Unemployment currently reads 4.7% and poverty 13.1% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.