Sterling Heights, MI

The affordability dashboard for Sterling Heights, MI aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 4 ZIP codes covering 129,683 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 $79,378, median home value of $278,951, median rent of $1,304 per month, and 31.0% 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 $1,411 per month (studio $1,009, 1BR $1,122, 3BR $1,724, 4BR $1,868). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $9,303 per year, consuming 12% 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 Sterling Heights, MI include rent. Unemployment currently reads 6.1% and poverty 11.1% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.