Raymond, IA

The affordability dashboard for Raymond, IA aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 795 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of B- (66/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $76,711, median home value of $222,600, median rent of $1,125 per month, and 19.0% 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 $1,051 per month (studio $725, 1BR $801, 3BR $1,357, 4BR $1,763). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $8,747 per year, consuming 11% 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 Raymond, IA include rent. Pressure points are education. Unemployment currently reads 5.0% and poverty 4.3% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.