Hallowell, ME

The affordability dashboard for Hallowell, ME aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 2,355 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C (55/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $68,398, median home value of $295,300, median rent of $890 per month, and 52.5% 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 $1,416 per month (studio $1,082, 1BR $1,090, 3BR $1,819, 4BR $2,158). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $11,960 per year, consuming 17% 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 Hallowell, ME include education. Pressure points are housing. Unemployment currently reads 0.3% and poverty 7.8% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.