La Plata County, CO
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 37.29, -107.84.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 97th pct · 75th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 80th pct · 13th of 62 Colorado counties · median $450,011
- 50th pct · 1,508th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 77th pct · 15th of 62 Colorado counties · median +0.2%
- 81st pct · 256th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 44th pct · 20th of 35 Colorado counties · median $1,975
- 76th pct · 770th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 77th pct · 15th of 64 Colorado counties · median 4,853
- 80th pct · 635th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 68th pct · 21st of 64 Colorado counties · median $1,075
- 97th pct · 63rd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 80th pct · 13th 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 $687,348 (Aug 2026), +3.0% over one year, +34.0% over five
- 97th pct · 75th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 80th pct · 13th of 62 Colorado counties · median $450,011
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| La Plata County, CO | $687,348 · +3.0% 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 $1,967/mo (Aug 2026), +0.8% over one year; price-to-rent 29.1
- 81st pct · 256th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 44th pct · 20th of 35 Colorado counties · median $1,975
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| La Plata County, CO | $1,967/mo · +0.8% 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 $3,762 a month on $687,348 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,373 a month: 70.0% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $687,348 × 80% = $549,878, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $3,762/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,240 × 52 / 12 = $5,373) = 70% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $687,348 / ($1,240 × 52) = 10.7
- price-to-rent = $687,348 / ($1,967 × 12) = 29.1
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 #
26,653 jobs at 3,214 employers (2026 Q1); -0.8% jobs and +5.1% average weekly wage over the year
- 76th pct · 770th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 77th pct · 15th of 64 Colorado counties · median 4,853
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| La Plata County, CO | 26,653 jobs · $1,240/wk · -0.8% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 3,779 | $1,309 | 0.94 | +10.1% |
| Retail trade | 3,273 | $769 | 1.26 | -3.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,225 | $574 | 1.35 | -6.1% |
| Construction | 2,055 | $1,380 | 1.47 | +9.6% |
| Professional and technical services | 1,543 | $2,166 | 0.84 | -3.5% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 1,093 | $652 | 2.49 | -5.8% |
| Administrative and waste services | 826 | $965 | 0.55 | +4.7% |
| Manufacturing | 802 | $1,303 | 0.37 | +1.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 770 | $1,297 | 0.69 | -2.8% |
| Other services | 738 | $833 | 0.93 | -1.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 679 | $3,366 | 0.63 | -4.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 558 | $1,866 | 0.55 | -0.2% |
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 #
4 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 4, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| LEMON RESERVOIR NEAR DURANGO CO | 22,420 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 19 km |
| VALLECITO RESERVOIR NEAR BAYFIELD, CO. | 40,320 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 26 km |
| RIDGWAY RESERVOIR NEAR RIDGWAY, CO | 64,820 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 106 km |
| SILVER JACK RESERVOIR NEAR CIMARRON, CO | 1,146 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 108 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 #
52 gauges · 0 flooding · 15 with quality panels averaging 84 % · 8 stale
Sites found: 52, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| ANIMAS RIVER NEAR CEDAR HILL, NM | flow 978.0 ft³/s · quality 0 % (1) · no flooding | 28 km |
| MINERAL CREEK AT SILVERTON, CO | flow 113.0 ft³/s · quality 67 % (3) | 59 km |
| MUD CREEK AT STATE HIGHWAY 32, NEAR CORTEZ, CO. | flow 0.18 ft³/s · quality 50 % (2) | 73 km |
| CEMENT CREEK AT SILVERTON, CO | flow 20.8 ft³/s · quality 67 % (3) | 61 km |
| ANIMAS RIVER AT DURANGO, CO | flow 765.0 ft³/s · quality 88 % (4) · no flooding | 4 km |
| ANIMAS RIVER BLW DURANGO PUMP PLANT NR DURANGO, CO | flow 824.0 ft³/s | 5 km |
| WILSON GULCH NEAR DURANGO, CO | flow 0.46 ft³/s · STALE | 7 km |
| HIGHWAY SPRING NEAR LOMA LINDA, CO | flow 0.23 ft³/s · STALE | 13 km |
| HERMOSA CREEK NEAR HERMOSA, CO. | flow 79.4 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 15 km |
| RAINBOW SPRINGS TROUT RANCH NEAR BONDAD, CO | flow 2.00 ft³/s · STALE | 16 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 #
1 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 1, 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-364255108053202 | depth 36.9 ft · 2026-10-05 | 67 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 (0.38)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.16 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$2.1 bn in deposits at 20 offices of 10 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,491, moderately concentrated. $463.8 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $341.2 m, grants $89.6 m), $17,401 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bank of Colorado | $420.8 m · 20.1% share · 2 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $393.3 m · 18.8% share · 2 offices | |
| TBK BANK, SSB | $372.0 m · 17.8% share · 5 offices | |
| La Plata, CO | $463.8 m FY2026 · $17,401/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $327.0 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of Colorado | $420,831,000 | 20.1% | 2 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $393,341,000 | 18.8% | 2 |
| TBK BANK, SSB | $371,992,000 | 17.8% | 5 |
| Alpine Bank | $308,075,000 | 14.7% | 2 |
| Glacier Bank | $229,753,000 | 11.0% | 2 |
| NBH Bank | $122,744,000 | 5.9% | 2 |
| First Southwest Bank | $93,183,000 | 4.5% | 1 |
| Zions Bancorporation, N.A. | $91,018,000 | 4.4% | 2 |
| The Central Trust Bank | $33,805,000 | 1.6% | 1 |
| Four Corners Community Bank | $26,087,000 | 1.2% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,491 across 10 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 10 banks with deposits in the county = 20.1² + 18.8² + 17.8² + … (7 more) = 1,491
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 | $296,915,845 |
| Department of Transportation | $67,385,568 |
| Department of Agriculture | $32,109,626 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $31,866,070 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $13,639,245 |
| Department of Education | $13,131,732 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $4,002,707 |
| Department of the Interior | $3,039,157 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $909,088 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $572,898 |
| Department of Defense | $147,661 |
| Institute of Museum and Library Services | $66,079 |
That is $17,401 per covered job, against 26,653 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $463.8 m / 26,653 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $17,401
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 #
La Plata County, CO: 14 findings, 7 at a watch level and 7 noted
watchLa Plata County, CO's price-to-rent ratio of 29.1 ranks 25th 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 = 98.28326180257511 >= 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
watchLa Plata County, CO's years of wages of 10.7 ranks 63rd 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 = 97.97517962116264 >= 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
watchLa Plata County, CO's price-to-rent ratio is 29.1, a watch level here: typical home value worth 25 or more years of typical rent (typical home value / (typical rent × 12), Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month; 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: priceToRent = 29.11882571822766 >= 25
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
typical home value / (typical rent × 12), Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchLa Plata County, CO's covered employment is -0.8% 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 = -0.8 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchLa Plata County, CO's years of wages is 10.7, 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 = 10.659857751803623 >= 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
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.