Lamar County, AL
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 33.79, -88.09.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 10th pct · 2,753rd of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 9th pct · 61st of 67 Alabama counties · median $183,308
- 6th pct · 2,878th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 3rd pct · 65th of 67 Alabama counties · median +2.2%
- US counties: not published this period
- Alabama counties: not published this period
- 28th pct · 2,304th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 18th pct · 55th of 67 Alabama counties · median 10,118
- 48th pct · 1,650th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 56th pct · 30th of 67 Alabama counties · median $1,024
- 10th pct · 2,745th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 15th pct · 57th of 67 Alabama counties · median 3.3
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $134,138 (Aug 2026), -3.8% over one year, -9.2% over five
- 10th pct · 2,753rd of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 9th pct · 61st of 67 Alabama counties · median $183,308
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Lamar County, AL | $134,138 · -3.8% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Zillow publishes no rent index for this area (ZORI covers about 1,400 counties)
- US counties: not published this period
- Alabama counties: not published this period
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $734 a month on $134,138 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,481 a month: 16.4% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $134,138 × 80% = $107,310, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $734/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,034 × 52 / 12 = $4,481) = 16% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $134,138 / ($1,034 × 52) = 2.5
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
3,521 jobs at 304 employers (2026 Q1); +5.1% jobs and +4.6% average weekly wage over the year
- 28th pct · 2,304th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 18th pct · 55th of 67 Alabama counties · median 10,118
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Lamar County, AL | 3,521 jobs · $1,034/wk · +5.1% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,067 | $1,285 | 3.77 | -6.1% |
| Retail trade | 383 | $730 | 1.12 | -0.8% |
| Administrative and waste services | 231 | $1,502 | 1.15 | +4.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 165 | $1,131 | 1.11 | +14.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 122 | $373 | 0.39 | -13.5% |
| Construction | 94 | $794 | 0.51 | +25.3% |
| Other services | 91 | $1,018 | 0.86 | +152.8% |
| Professional and technical services | 44 | $873 | 0.18 | -2.2% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 14 | $668 | 0.24 | +7.7% |
| Information | 13 | $1,232 | 0.20 | +8.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | withheld | |||
| Mining, oil and gas | withheld |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D1 moderate drought
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
No reservoir gauges within 150 km (or the camera is above the gauge altitude)
Sites found: 0, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
34 gauges · 1 flooding · 0 with quality panels · 8 stale
Sites found: 34, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| LUXAPALLILA CREEK AT MILLPORT, AL | flow 102.0 ft³/s · MINOR flooding | 24 km |
| BUTTAHATCHEE RIVER NR ABERDEEN, MS | flow 105.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 21 km |
| BUTTAHATCHEE RIVER BELOW HAMILTON AL | flow 53.7 ft³/s · no flooding | 37 km |
| TOMBIGBEE RIVER AT ABERDEEN LOCK AND DAM, MS | flow 119.0 ft³/s | 40 km |
| LUXAPALLILA CREEK NR COLUMBUS, MS | flow 72.9 ft³/s · no flooding | 42 km |
| Tombigbee River at Aberdeen Lock and Dam | no flooding | 42 km |
| TENN-TOM WATERWAY BL WILKINS L&D NR SMITHVILLE, MS | flow 869.0 ft³/s | 44 km |
| TENN-TOM WATERWAY BL COCHRAN L&D AT AMORY, MS | flow 66.8 ft³/s | 45 km |
| TOMBIGBEE RIVER AT BIGBEE, MS | flow 241.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 47 km |
| TOMBIGBEE RIVER AT STENNIS LOCK AND DAM, MS | flow 20.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 48 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
22 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 22, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-335122088293001 | depth 11.2 ft · 1985-09-29 | 38 km |
| USGS-333805088291002 | depth 10.0 ft · 1990-12-11 | 41 km |
| USGS-340018088270702 | depth 8.38 ft · 1985-09-29 | 41 km |
| USGS-334958088323603 | depth 42.2 ft · 1985-09-29 | 42 km |
| USGS-340409088243801 | depth 8.87 ft · 1985-09-29 | 43 km |
| USGS-333355088282502 | depth 5.68 ft · 1982-12-04 | 43 km |
| USGS-334843088332601 | depth 17.3 ft · 1993-09-30 | 44 km |
| USGS-340054088281802 | depth 1.62 ft · 1985-09-29 | 44 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
moderate (0.25)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 / 0.35
Banks & federal dollars #
$346.0 m in deposits at 5 offices of 4 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 4,437, highly concentrated. $96.2 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $95.4 m, grants $829,089), $27,320 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| The Bank of Vernon | $218.2 m · 63.1% share · 2 offices | |
| West Alabama Bank & Trust | $48.0 m · 13.9% share · 1 office | |
| First State Bank of the South, Inc. | $43.1 m · 12.5% share · 1 office | |
| Lamar, AL | $96.2 m FY2026 · $27,320/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $94.2 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bank of Vernon | $218,226,000 | 63.1% | 2 |
| West Alabama Bank & Trust | $47,987,000 | 13.9% | 1 |
| First State Bank of the South, Inc. | $43,138,000 | 12.5% | 1 |
| First National Bank | $36,675,000 | 10.6% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 4,437 across 4 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 4 banks with deposits in the county = 63.1² + 13.9² + 12.5² + … (1 more) = 4,437
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $82,602,316 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $10,753,360 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $2,071,767 |
| Department of Agriculture | $910,254 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $797,093 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $125,597 |
| Department of Transportation | -$1,067,519 |
That is $27,320 per covered job, against 3,521 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $96.2 m / 3,521 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $27,320
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 12.28 | 2026-10-04 | -0.1% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.60 | 2026-10-05 | +0.1% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 6.00 | 2026-09-22 | -14.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 6,830.00 | 2026-08-01 | +7.4% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 96.16 | 2026-09-29 | -3.2% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.28 | 2026-10-01 | +3.6% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -88,576.00 | 2026-07-01 | -24.4% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 646,347.00 | 2026-08-01 | +1.1% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Lamar County, AL: 10 findings, 1 at a watch level and 9 noted
watchLamar County, AL's typical home value is -3.8% against a year earlier, a watch level here: typical home value below a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- test: home.yoyPct = -3.7568869204680397 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
noteLamar County, AL's covered employment was 5.1% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +5.1 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteLamar County, AL's average weekly wage was 4.6% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +4.6 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteLamar County, AL's typical home value fell 0.5% from $134,765 in July 2026 to $134,138 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- -0.5% = (134137.59536495572 - 134764.94735471578) / 134764.94735471578 × 100
- 134137.59536495572 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 134764.94735471578 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteLamar County, AL's typical home value of -3.8% ranks 65th of 67 Alabama counties, against a median of +2.2%.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 3 on the 0-to-100 scale across 67 Alabama counties that published home.yoyPct
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 10 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.