The Virginia Affordability Index
Measuring what matters.
Traditional economic indicators often fail to capture the real-world affordability challenges facing residents. The Virginia Affordability Index combines multiple factors into a single view of community affordability.
Index Components
Eleven signals, one picture.
The Index is designed not to rank communities, but to identify opportunities for improvement and guide investment decisions.
01Housing Affordability
02Transportation Burden
03Access to Employment
04Commute Times
05Public Transit Availability
06Healthcare Accessibility
07Educational Opportunity
08Digital Access
09Income Levels
10Economic Mobility
11Community Resilience
Potential Uses
From metric to decision.
Transportation Planning
Housing Policy
Economic Development
Workforce Development
Grant Prioritization
Infrastructure Investment
Community Planning
Executive Decision Support
Future Vision
Establishing comparable affordability benchmarks across counties, cities, and states — to support more effective public-sector planning and investment.