Newton, NC

The affordability dashboard for Newton, NC aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 27,022 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C+ (62/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $72,042, median home value of $214,000, median rent of $948 per month, and 20.4% 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 $1,095 per month (studio $858, 1BR $908, 3BR $1,372, 4BR $1,660). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $9,519 per year, consuming 13% 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 Newton, NC include rent. Pressure points are education. Unemployment currently reads 4.6% and poverty 9.5% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.