Delta County, CO
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 38.86, -107.86.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 87th pct · 390th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 45th pct · 34th of 62 Colorado counties · median $450,011
- 47th pct · 1,605th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 72nd pct · 18th of 62 Colorado counties · median +0.2%
- US counties: not published this period
- Colorado counties: not published this period
- 50th pct · 1,595th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 60th pct · 26th of 64 Colorado counties · median 4,853
- 25th pct · 2,401st of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 19th pct · 52nd of 64 Colorado counties · median $1,075
- 94th pct · 172nd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 72nd pct · 18th 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 $412,377 (Aug 2026), +2.7% over one year, +21.5% over five
- 87th pct · 390th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 45th pct · 34th of 62 Colorado counties · median $450,011
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Delta County, CO | $412,377 · +2.7% 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
- Colorado 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 $2,257 a month on $412,377 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,030 a month: 56.0% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $412,377 × 80% = $329,902, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $2,257/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $930 × 52 / 12 = $4,030) = 56% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $412,377 / ($930 × 52) = 8.5
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 #
8,350 jobs at 1,069 employers (2026 Q1); -4.0% jobs and -0.3% average weekly wage over the year
- 50th pct · 1,595th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 60th pct · 26th of 64 Colorado counties · median 4,853
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Delta County, CO | 8,350 jobs · $930/wk · -4.0% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,200 | $707 | 1.47 | +1.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 995 | $772 | 0.79 | +13.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 747 | $419 | 1.00 | -5.2% |
| Construction | 621 | $1,141 | 1.42 | +4.7% |
| Manufacturing | 497 | $934 | 0.74 | -7.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 321 | $912 | 5.32 | -15.7% |
| Other services | 279 | $863 | 1.12 | +3.7% |
| Administrative and waste services | 215 | $981 | 0.45 | -20.1% |
| Professional and technical services | 191 | $1,146 | 0.33 | +3.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 189 | $1,618 | 0.56 | -52.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 144 | $695 | 0.41 | +46.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 142 | $907 | 0.44 | -12.9% |
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 #
D2 severe 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 #
8 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 8, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| FRUIT GROWERS RESERVOIR NEAR ORCHARD CITY, CO | 79.8 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 9 km |
| CRAWFORD RESERVOIR NEAR CRAWFORD, CO | 1,164 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 29 km |
| VEGA RESERVOIR NEAR COLLBRAN, CO | 2,836 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 41 km |
| PAONIA RESERVOIR NEAR BARDINE, CO | 364.4 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 45 km |
| RIDGWAY RESERVOIR NEAR RIDGWAY, CO | 64,820 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 70 km |
| SILVER JACK RESERVOIR NEAR CIMARRON, CO | 1,146 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 75 km |
| RIFLE GAP RESERVOIR NEAR RIFLE, CO | 1,721 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 86 km |
| TAYLOR PARK RESERVOIR AT TAYLOR PARK, CO. | 51,520 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 109 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 #
58 gauges · 0 flooding · 20 with quality panels averaging 70 % · 28 stale
Sites found: 58, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| LGRB-Poly 25 | cond. 2,860 uS/cm · quality 0 % (1) · STALE | 51 km |
| USGS-383632107560201 | cond. 3,280 uS/cm · quality 0 % (1) · STALE | 29 km |
| USGS-383633107560701 | cond. 6,080 uS/cm · quality 0 % (1) · STALE | 29 km |
| USGS-383926107593001 | flow 50.6 ft³/s · quality 50 % (2) | 25 km |
| USGS-391953108130201 | flow 0.65 ft³/s · quality 75 % (4) | 60 km |
| ANTHRACITE CREEK ABOVE MOUTH NEAR SOMERSET | flow 47.6 ft³/s · quality 50 % (2) | 45 km |
| DRY FORK AT UPPER STATION NEAR DE BEQUE, CO. | flow 4.57 ft³/s · quality 67 % (3) · STALE | 69 km |
| GUNNISON RIVER NEAR GRAND JUNCTION, CO. | flow 1,050 ft³/s · quality 70 % (5) · no flooding | 52 km |
| COLORADO R. ABV GUNNISON R. AT GRAND JUNCTION, CO | flow 242.0 ft³/s · quality 67 % (3) | 62 km |
| USGS-385117107554501 | stage 0.44 ft · STALE | 6 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 #
10 wells in 2 named aquifers: Colorado Plateaus aquifers, Alluvial aquifers
Sites found: 10, 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-384240108000701 | depth 9.95 ft · 2017-01-31 | 20 km |
| USGS-384110107591801 | depth 3.18 ft · 2017-01-31 | 22 km |
| USGS-383844107572801 | level 5,288 ft · 2024-05-25 | 25 km |
| USGS-383626107581501 | depth 8.41 ft · 2017-01-31 | 30 km |
| USGS-383315107525201 | depth 2.03 ft · 2017-01-31 | 34 km |
| USGS-383051107525501 | depth 13.2 ft · 2017-01-31 | 39 km |
| USGS-382947107465801 | depth 6.82 ft · 2017-01-31 | 41 km |
| Colorado Plateaus aquifers | depth 6.36 ft · 2017-01-31 | 42 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 (0.43)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.30 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$765.5 m in deposits at 13 offices of 7 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,753, moderately concentrated. $271.4 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $254.1 m, grants $12.7 m), $32,500 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bank of Colorado | $218.9 m · 28.6% share · 3 offices | |
| Alpine Bank | $124.3 m · 16.2% share · 1 office | |
| United Business Bank | $116.1 m · 15.2% share · 4 offices | |
| Delta, CO | $271.4 m FY2026 · $32,500/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $245.2 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of Colorado | $218,861,000 | 28.6% | 3 |
| Alpine Bank | $124,304,000 | 16.2% | 1 |
| United Business Bank | $116,072,000 | 15.2% | 4 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $104,417,000 | 13.6% | 1 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $83,768,000 | 10.9% | 1 |
| Oakstar Bank | $81,517,000 | 10.6% | 2 |
| BMO Bank National Association | $36,525,000 | 4.8% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,753 across 7 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 7 banks with deposits in the county = 28.6² + 16.2² + 15.2² + … (4 more) = 1,753
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 | $216,091,415 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $27,848,264 |
| Department of Transportation | $13,899,380 |
| Department of Agriculture | $7,837,919 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $3,937,994 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,364,652 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $1,112,796 |
| Department of Energy | $989,482 |
| Department of Education | $490,370 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $83,858 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
| Department of the Interior | -$2,277,238 |
That is $32,500 per covered job, against 8,350 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $271.4 m / 8,350 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $32,500
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 #
Delta County, CO: 12 findings, 1 at an alert level, 5 at a watch level and 6 noted
alertDelta County, CO's covered employment is -4.0% against a year earlier, an alert level here: covered employment at least 3 percent below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; 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 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -4 <= -3
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchDelta County, CO's years of wages of 8.5 ranks 172nd 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 = 94.41541476159372 >= 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
watchDelta County, CO's covered employment is -4.0% 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 = -4 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchDelta County, CO's average weekly wage is -0.3% against a year earlier, a watch level here: average weekly wage below the same quarter a year earlier, before inflation (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; 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 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.avgWeeklyWage = -0.3 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchDelta County, CO's momentum index is -0.27, a watch level here: momentum index in the cooling band (the cooling band of the momentum index computed here, score at or below -0.25; 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: momentum = -0.2713585578184673 <= -0.25
- momentum = Σ wᵢ · clip(changeᵢ / scaleᵢ, −1, 1) / Σ wᵢ over the terms present; weights and scales: home value 1-yr change 0.3 (±10%), rent 1-yr change 0.15 (±10%), jobs over-the-year change 0.3 (±3%), avg weekly wage over-the-year change 0.25 (±6%)
the cooling band of the momentum index computed here, score at or below -0.25; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
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.