Mediapolis, IA

The affordability dashboard for Mediapolis, IA aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 2,449 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of B (73/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $81,477, median home value of $194,500, median rent of $1,040 per month, and 29.1% 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 $1,063 per month (studio $733, 1BR $810, 3BR $1,369, 4BR $1,426). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $8,483 per year, consuming 10% 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 Mediapolis, IA include housing, rent. Unemployment currently reads 1.2% and poverty 6.1% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.