Montrose County, CO
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 38.41, -108.27.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 91st pct · 275th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 52nd pct · 30th of 62 Colorado counties · median $450,011
- 43rd pct · 1,728th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 68th pct · 20th of 62 Colorado counties · median +0.2%
- 81st pct · 253rd of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 47th pct · 19th of 35 Colorado counties · median $1,975
- 67th pct · 1,032nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 73rd pct · 18th of 64 Colorado counties · median 4,853
- 56th pct · 1,395th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 47th pct · 34th of 64 Colorado counties · median $1,075
- 93rd pct · 199th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 68th pct · 20th 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 $455,921 (Aug 2026), +2.4% over one year, +25.6% over five
- 91st pct · 275th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 52nd pct · 30th of 62 Colorado counties · median $450,011
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Montrose County, CO | $455,921 · +2.4% 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 $1,970/mo (Aug 2026), +5.3% over one year; price-to-rent 19.3
- 81st pct · 253rd of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 47th pct · 19th of 35 Colorado counties · median $1,975
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Montrose County, CO | $1,970/mo · +5.3% 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 $2,496 a month on $455,921 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,637 a month: 53.8% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $455,921 × 80% = $364,737, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $2,496/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,070 × 52 / 12 = $4,637) = 54% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $455,921 / ($1,070 × 52) = 8.2
- price-to-rent = $455,921 / ($1,970 × 12) = 19.3
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 #
17,186 jobs at 1,812 employers (2026 Q1); -0.3% jobs and +5.6% average weekly wage over the year
- 67th pct · 1,032nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 73rd pct · 18th of 64 Colorado counties · median 4,853
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Montrose County, CO | 17,186 jobs · $1,070/wk · -0.3% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 2,404 | $779 | 1.44 | +1.1% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,303 | $910 | 0.89 | +2.8% |
| Construction | 2,091 | $1,253 | 2.32 | -2.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,700 | $489 | 1.10 | -3.4% |
| Manufacturing | 997 | $1,134 | 0.72 | -11.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 690 | $930 | 0.95 | +3.4% |
| Administrative and waste services | 545 | $967 | 0.56 | +9.4% |
| Professional and technical services | 524 | $1,255 | 0.44 | -7.7% |
| Other services | 475 | $1,039 | 0.92 | +1.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 404 | $1,902 | 0.61 | -7.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 314 | $1,520 | 0.45 | +3.0% |
| Real estate and rental | 290 | $1,101 | 1.10 | -3.3% |
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 #
9 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 9, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| RIDGWAY RESERVOIR NEAR RIDGWAY, CO | 64,820 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 48 km |
| FRUIT GROWERS RESERVOIR NEAR ORCHARD CITY, CO | 79.8 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 54 km |
| CRAWFORD RESERVOIR NEAR CRAWFORD, CO | 1,165 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 66 km |
| SILVER JACK RESERVOIR NEAR CIMARRON, CO | 1,148 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 66 km |
| VEGA RESERVOIR NEAR COLLBRAN, CO | 2,836 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 99 km |
| PAONIA RESERVOIR NEAR BARDINE, CO | 364.4 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 99 km |
| LEMON RESERVOIR NEAR DURANGO CO | 22,420 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 126 km |
| VALLECITO RESERVOIR NEAR BAYFIELD, CO. | 40,320 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 129 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 #
43 gauges · 0 flooding · 12 with quality panels averaging 61 % · 14 stale
Sites found: 43, 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-382427107491401 | cond. 2,860 uS/cm · quality 0 % (1) · STALE | 39 km |
| USGS-383632107560201 | cond. 3,280 uS/cm · quality 0 % (1) · STALE | 37 km |
| USGS-383633107560701 | cond. 6,080 uS/cm · quality 0 % (1) · STALE | 36 km |
| USGS-383926107593001 | flow 51.2 ft³/s · quality 50 % (2) | 37 km |
| DOLORES RIVER NEAR BEDROCK, CO. | flow 13.4 ft³/s · quality 50 % (2) · no flooding | 50 km |
| GUNNISON RIVER NEAR GRAND JUNCTION, CO. | flow 1,050 ft³/s · quality 70 % (5) · no flooding | 66 km |
| SAN MIGUEL RIVER AT BROOKS BRIDGE NEAR NUCLA CO | flow 87.2 ft³/s | 27 km |
| DRY CREEK AT BEGONIA RD, NR DELTA, CO. | flow 103.0 ft³/s · STALE | 33 km |
| ESCALANTE CREEK NEAR DELTA, CO. | flow 2.06 ft³/s | 39 km |
| SAN MIGUEL RIVER AT URAVAN, CO. | flow 147.0 ft³/s | 39 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 0 named 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-383626107581501 | depth 8.41 ft · 2017-01-31 | 34 km |
| USGS-383051107525501 | depth 13.2 ft · 2017-01-31 | 36 km |
| USGS-383315107525201 | depth 2.03 ft · 2017-01-31 | 37 km |
| USGS-383844107572801 | level 5,288 ft · 2024-05-25 | 38 km |
| USGS-382656107500701 | depth 7.61 ft · 2017-01-31 | 38 km |
| USGS-382427107491401 | depth 4.77 ft · 2024-06-26 | 39 km |
| USGS-384110107591801 | depth 3.18 ft · 2017-01-31 | 39 km |
| USGS-384240108000701 | depth 9.95 ft · 2017-01-31 | 41 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 (0.46)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.39 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.4 bn in deposits at 13 offices of 11 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,440, moderately concentrated. $381.7 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $309.9 m, contracts $52.0 m), $22,210 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine Bank | $325.6 m · 23.4% share · 1 office | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $284.9 m · 20.5% share · 1 office | |
| Bank of Colorado | $198.8 m · 14.3% share · 2 offices | |
| Montrose, CO | $381.7 m FY2026 · $22,210/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $307.1 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Bank | $325,568,000 | 23.4% | 1 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $284,947,000 | 20.5% | 1 |
| Bank of Colorado | $198,795,000 | 14.3% | 2 |
| Timberline Bank | $119,181,000 | 8.6% | 1 |
| BMO Bank National Association | $106,332,000 | 7.6% | 1 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $86,859,000 | 6.2% | 1 |
| Home Loan State Bank | $83,560,000 | 6.0% | 1 |
| The Citizens State Bank of Ouray | $77,708,000 | 5.6% | 2 |
| Zions Bancorporation, N.A. | $62,609,000 | 4.5% | 1 |
| NBH Bank | $45,634,000 | 3.3% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,440 across 11 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 11 banks with deposits in the county = 23.4² + 20.5² + 14.3² + … (8 more) = 1,440
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 | $276,139,129 |
| Department of Agriculture | $48,694,268 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $29,948,379 |
| Department of Transportation | $15,227,383 |
| Department of the Interior | $7,332,869 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $1,731,416 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,453,149 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $843,220 |
| Department of Defense | $188,535 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $96,003 |
| Department of Justice | $18,555 |
| Department of Energy | $15,601 |
That is $22,210 per covered job, against 17,186 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $381.7 m / 17,186 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $22,210
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 #
Montrose County, CO: 12 findings, 6 at a watch level and 6 noted
watchMontrose County, CO's years of wages of 8.2 ranks 199th 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 = 93.53363814500327 >= 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
watchMontrose County, CO's covered employment is -0.3% 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 = -0.3 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchMontrose County, CO's price-to-rent ratio of 19.3 scores 69 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 21 across Colorado counties, a gap of 48 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 48 = |69 across US counties - 21 across Colorado counties|
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchMontrose County, CO's typical home value of $455,921 scores 91 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 52 across Colorado counties, a gap of 39 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 39 = |91 across US counties - 52 across Colorado counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchMontrose County, CO's typical asking rent of $1,970 scores 82 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 47 across Colorado counties, a gap of 35 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 35 = |82 across US counties - 47 across Colorado counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; 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.