The Affordability Index intends to help users better understand the cost of living in a given area. The Radius+ team picked the values below to help determine an area's affordability. Data is presented at a census tract level.
Metadata | Definition | Use Case |
Gross/ Household Density | Total households divided by total land acres | Gross or Household Density can be a helpful indicator of how densely populated a census tract is. |
Block Density | Census blocks per acre
| This is a great indicator of pedestrian friendliness and walkability. A census tract will be divided into more census blocks if it has more streets and intersections. The higher the block density, the more walkable a census tract is. |
Local Job Density | # of jobs divided by the land area within the tract.
| Job density could be a great indicator of employment activity in the census tract. The higher the job density, the higher the demand to move to those areas which in return increases real estate activity. |
Median Selected Monthly Owner Costs | Monthly owner costs that include mortgage payments, utilities, fuel, and condominium and mobile home fees, where appropriate.
| Median monthly owner costs could indicate housing prices and living costs in the census tract. This can help users better understand the real estate activity in the given area. Higher ownership costs can mean high demand for housing in that neighborhood. |
Median Gross Rent | Monthly rent including utilities, and fuel if paid by the renter. | Median gross rent is a good indicator of the rent in the census tract. This can help users gauge the demand for housing in a census tract compared to other neighborhoods. Higher rent can mean a high demand for housing in that neighborhood. |