Hampden, MA

The affordability dashboard for Hampden, MA aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 5,109 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of B- (65/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $104,536, median home value of $358,200, median rent of $1,132 per month, and 36.9% 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 $1,734 per month (studio $1,219, 1BR $1,382, 3BR $2,127, 4BR $2,296). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $17,160 per year, consuming 16% 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 Hampden, MA include income, rent. Unemployment currently reads 5.0% and poverty 3.8% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.