Chaffee County, CO
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 38.73, -106.30.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 97th pct · 74th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 81st pct · 12th of 62 Colorado counties · median $450,011
- 29th pct · 2,145th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 55th pct · 28th of 62 Colorado counties · median +0.2%
- 93rd pct · 95th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 70th pct · 11th of 35 Colorado counties · median $1,975
- 52nd pct · 1,537th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 65th pct · 23rd of 64 Colorado counties · median 4,853
- 57th pct · 1,383rd of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 49th pct · 33rd of 64 Colorado counties · median $1,075
- 98th pct · 35th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 86th pct · 9th of 62 Colorado counties · median 6.5
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 $688,024 (Aug 2026), +1.1% over one year, +19.0% over five
- 97th pct · 74th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 81st pct · 12th of 62 Colorado counties · median $450,011
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Chaffee County, CO | $688,024 · +1.1% 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 #
Typical rent $2,400/mo (Aug 2026), -1.1% over one year; price-to-rent 23.9
- 93rd pct · 95th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 70th pct · 11th of 35 Colorado counties · median $1,975
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Chaffee County, CO | $2,400/mo · -1.1% 1-yr |
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 $3,766 a month on $688,024 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,645 a month: 81.1% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $688,024 × 80% = $550,419, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $3,766/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,072 × 52 / 12 = $4,645) = 81% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $688,024 / ($1,072 × 52) = 12.3
- price-to-rent = $688,024 / ($2,400 × 12) = 23.9
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 #
8,931 jobs at 1,303 employers (2026 Q1); -1.7% jobs and +5.4% average weekly wage over the year
- 52nd pct · 1,537th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 65th pct · 23rd of 64 Colorado counties · median 4,853
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Chaffee County, CO | 8,931 jobs · $1,072/wk · -1.7% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 1,429 | $621 | 1.78 | -8.5% |
| Retail trade | 1,338 | $736 | 1.54 | -3.1% |
| Construction | 711 | $1,647 | 1.52 | +2.2% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 554 | $572 | 3.77 | +0.0% |
| Professional and technical services | 413 | $2,222 | 0.67 | +1.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 360 | $931 | 0.27 | -1.9% |
| Administrative and waste services | 210 | $998 | 0.41 | -0.9% |
| Other services | 209 | $1,092 | 0.78 | -6.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 200 | $1,132 | 0.58 | -14.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 191 | $1,530 | 0.52 | -9.0% |
| Real estate and rental | 140 | $821 | 1.02 | +2.2% |
| Educational services | 106 | $704 | 0.55 | -3.6% |
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 #
D4 exceptional 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 #
7 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 7, 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.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| TAYLOR PARK RESERVOIR AT TAYLOR PARK, CO. | 51,550 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 28 km |
| PAONIA RESERVOIR NEAR BARDINE, CO | 364.4 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 94 km |
| CRAWFORD RESERVOIR NEAR CRAWFORD, CO | 1,160 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 113 km |
| SILVER JACK RESERVOIR NEAR CIMARRON, CO | 1,155 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 122 km |
| RIDGWAY RESERVOIR NEAR RIDGWAY, CO | 64,860 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 138 km |
| VEGA RESERVOIR NEAR COLLBRAN, CO | 2,834 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 142 km |
| FRUIT GROWERS RESERVOIR NEAR ORCHARD CITY, CO | 79.5 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 144 km |
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 #
96 gauges · 0 flooding · 32 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 51 stale
Sites found: 96, 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-384322106095401 | temp 14.0 °C · quality 100 % (2) · STALE | 12 km |
| Chalk Creek at Nathrop | no flooding | 12 km |
| USGS-384933106064301 | temp 10.5 °C · quality 100 % (2) · STALE | 19 km |
| USGS-385201106085801 | temp 11.5 °C · quality 100 % (2) · STALE | 20 km |
| ARKANSAS RIVER AT BUENA VISTA, CO. | flow 235.0 ft³/s · STALE | 20 km |
| USGS-383705106071601 | temp 7.50 °C · quality 100 % (2) · STALE | 20 km |
| USGS-383631106052401 | temp 12.9 °C · quality 100 % (1) · STALE | 23 km |
| WILLOW CREEK ABOVE TAYLOR PARK RESERVOIR, CO. | flow 13.6 ft³/s | 24 km |
| TEXAS CREEK AT TAYLOR PARK, CO | flow 28.3 ft³/s | 25 km |
| TAYLOR RIVER AT TAYLOR PARK, CO. | flow 41.1 ft³/s · quality 100 % (2) · no flooding | 27 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 #
18 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 18, 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-384322106095401 | level 8,275 ft · 2026-07-15 | 12 km |
| USGS-384336106093301 | level 8,058 ft · 2026-07-15 | 12 km |
| USGS-384933106064301 | level 7,870 ft · 2026-07-15 | 19 km |
| USGS-385201106085801 | level 8,011 ft · 2026-07-15 | 20 km |
| USGS-383705106071601 | level 7,893 ft · 2026-07-16 | 20 km |
| USGS-383631106052401 | level 7,382 ft · 2026-07-16 | 23 km |
| USGS-383207106043901 | level 7,584 ft · 2026-07-16 | 30 km |
| USGS-390900106191901 | level 9,247 ft · 2026-07-14 | 46 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 #
high (0.64)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×1.00 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$828.8 m in deposits at 9 offices of 6 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 3,634, highly concentrated. $158.1 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $146.3 m, grants $9.8 m), $17,708 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| High Country Bank | $375.9 m · 45.4% share · 3 offices | |
| Glacier Bank | $321.8 m · 38.8% share · 2 offices | |
| TBK BANK, SSB | $41.9 m · 5.1% share · 1 office | |
| Chaffee, CO | $158.1 m FY2026 · $17,708/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $145.3 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Country Bank | $375,910,000 | 45.4% | 3 |
| Glacier Bank | $321,809,000 | 38.8% | 2 |
| TBK BANK, SSB | $41,866,000 | 5.1% | 1 |
| BMO Bank National Association | $38,534,000 | 4.6% | 1 |
| PB&T Bank | $35,893,000 | 4.3% | 1 |
| The Colorado Bank and Trust Company of La Junta | $14,753,000 | 1.8% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 3,634 across 6 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 6 banks with deposits in the county = 45.4² + 38.8² + 5.1² + … (3 more) = 3,634
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 | $131,137,715 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $13,028,573 |
| Department of Transportation | $7,639,686 |
| Department of Agriculture | $3,253,041 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $1,522,091 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,074,991 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $232,163 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $123,790 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $100,000 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $38,984 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
| Department of the Interior | -$1,111 |
That is $17,708 per covered job, against 8,931 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $158.1 m / 8,931 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $17,708
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 | 12.69 | 2026-10-05 | +3.3% |
| 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 | 2026-10-06 | +0.0% |
| 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 #
Chaffee County, CO: 12 findings, 4 at a watch level and 8 noted
watchChaffee County, CO's years of wages of 12.3 ranks 35th of 3,063 US counties, a watch level here: years of wages in the top tenth of US counties (position among the counties that published both a ZHVI value and a QCEW average weekly wage; 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: yearsOfWages percentile = 98.88961463096015 >= 90
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the counties that published both a ZHVI value and a QCEW average weekly wage; not an official level
watchChaffee County, CO's years of wages is 12.3, a watch level here: typical home value worth 10 or more years of one average covered wage (typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52), one average covered job rather than a household; convention chosen for this dashboard, 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: yearsOfWages = 12.342572706011756 >= 10
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52), one average covered job rather than a household; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchChaffee County, CO's covered employment is -1.7% against a year earlier, a watch level here: covered employment below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; 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 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -1.7 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchChaffee County, CO's price-to-rent ratio of 23.9 ranks 130th of 1,399 US counties, a watch level here: price-to-rent in the top tenth of US counties (position among the counties that published both ZHVI and ZORI this month; 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: priceToRent percentile = 90.77253218884121 >= 90
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
position among the counties that published both ZHVI and ZORI this month; not an official level
noteChaffee County, CO's average weekly wage was 5.4% 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
- +5.4 % = 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
Read all 12 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.