Topping, VA

The affordability dashboard for Topping, VA aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code covering 1,325 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of C (58/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $71,964, median home value of $247,900, median rent of $860 per month, and 27.8% 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 $1,291 per month (studio $1,052, 1BR $1,058, 3BR $1,548, 4BR $2,018). Department of Labor data lists infant center-based childcare at $10,905 per year, consuming 15% 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 Topping, VA include rent. Unemployment currently reads 9.4% and poverty 14.5% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.