Star, NC

The affordability dashboard for Star, NC aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 3,205 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C- (54/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $55,347, median home value of $164,400, median rent of $758 per month, and 15.4% 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 $925 per month (studio $789, 1BR $794, 3BR $1,252, 4BR $1,552). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $9,392 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 Star, NC include rent. Pressure points are education. Unemployment currently reads 4.2% and poverty 18.7% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.