Helendale, CA

The affordability dashboard for Helendale, CA aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 6,379 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C+ (63/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $115,058, median home value of $378,900, median rent of $1,699 per month, and 23.8% 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 $2,201 per month (studio $1,692, 1BR $1,777, 3BR $2,912, 4BR $3,514). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $19,981 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 Helendale, CA include income. Pressure points are education. Unemployment currently reads 5.0% and poverty 7.4% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.