Saguache County, CO
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 38.03, -106.23.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 57th pct · 1,305th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 19th pct · 50th of 62 Colorado counties · median $450,011
- 6th pct · 2,868th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 9th pct · 56th of 62 Colorado counties · median +0.2%
- US counties: not published this period
- Colorado counties: not published this period
- 11th pct · 2,839th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 23rd pct · 49th of 64 Colorado counties · median 4,853
- 9th pct · 2,924th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 7th pct · 59th of 64 Colorado counties · median $1,075
- 77th pct · 678th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 40th pct · 37th 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 $255,728 (Aug 2026), -3.5% over one year, +7.1% over five
- 57th pct · 1,305th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 19th pct · 50th of 62 Colorado counties · median $450,011
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Saguache County, CO | $255,728 · -3.5% 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 $1,400 a month on $255,728 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $3,610 a month: 38.8% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $255,728 × 80% = $204,582, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,400/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $833 × 52 / 12 = $3,610) = 39% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $255,728 / ($833 × 52) = 5.9
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 #
1,536 jobs at 238 employers (2026 Q1); -9.1% jobs and +5.4% average weekly wage over the year
- 11th pct · 2,839th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 23rd pct · 49th of 64 Colorado counties · median 4,853
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Saguache County, CO | 1,536 jobs · $833/wk · -9.1% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 289 | $840 | 26.05 | +0.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 148 | $1,038 | 2.52 | +52.6% |
| Retail trade | 127 | $595 | 0.85 | -11.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 93 | $791 | 0.40 | -10.6% |
| Other services | 47 | $742 | 1.02 | -14.5% |
| Construction | 40 | $770 | 0.50 | +0.0% |
| Manufacturing | 32 | $781 | 0.26 | +0.0% |
| Professional and technical services | 21 | $3,009 | 0.20 | -12.5% |
| Real estate and rental | 15 | $859 | 0.64 | +0.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 14 | $607 | 0.22 | +0.0% |
| Educational services | 11 | $440 | 0.33 | -8.3% |
| Information | 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 #
D3 extreme 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. | 51,520 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 93 km |
| SILVER JACK RESERVOIR NEAR CIMARRON, CO | 1,148 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 116 km |
| RIDGWAY RESERVOIR NEAR RIDGWAY, CO | 64,820 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 135 km |
| VALLECITO RESERVOIR NEAR BAYFIELD, CO. | 40,320 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 138 km |
| CRAWFORD RESERVOIR NEAR CRAWFORD, CO | 1,165 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 140 km |
| PAONIA RESERVOIR NEAR BARDINE, CO | 364.4 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 140 km |
| LEMON RESERVOIR NEAR DURANGO CO | 22,420 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 145 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 #
23 gauges · 0 flooding · 5 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 15 stale
Sites found: 23, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| TRACY PIT RESERVOIR INFLOW NEAR SAGUACHE, CO. | flow 0.00 ft³/s · STALE | 2 km |
| SAGUACHE CREEK NEAR SAGUACHE, CO | temp 13.8 °C · quality 100 % (1) · no flooding | 15 km |
| NOLAND GULCH TRIB RES INFLOW NR VILLA GROVE, CO. | flow 0.00 ft³/s · STALE | 31 km |
| RIO GRANDE NEAR DEL NORTE, CO | flow 875.0 ft³/s · no flooding · STALE | 43 km |
| TOMICHI CREEK AT SARGENTS, CO | flow 15.8 ft³/s | 44 km |
| South Fork Rio Grande at South Fork | no flooding | 55 km |
| USGS-383207106043901 | temp 9.20 °C · quality 100 % (2) · STALE | 58 km |
| COCHETOPA CREEK BELOW ROCK CREEK NEAR PARLIN, CO | flow 34.6 ft³/s · observation not current | 58 km |
| ARKANSAS RIVER NEAR WELLSVILLE, CO. | flow 397.0 ft³/s · no flooding · STALE | 58 km |
| BADGER CREEK, LOWER STATION, NEAR HOWARD, CO. | flow 3.60 ft³/s · STALE | 58 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 #
40 wells in 1 named aquifer: Rio Grande aquifer system
Sites found: 40, 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-375733105581901 | depth -9.99 ft · 1997-09-30 | 24 km |
| USGS-375539105574801 | depth 6.15 ft · 1984-09-29 | 26 km |
| USGS-375539105574802 | depth 6.05 ft · 1984-09-20 | 26 km |
| USGS-375356105575401 | depth -7.73 ft · 1999-09-30 | 28 km |
| USGS-375356105575402 | depth -8.21 ft · 1999-09-30 | 28 km |
| NA04201017ADC EW-78C | depth -17.9 ft · 1997-09-30 | 34 km |
| NA04101004CCC2 EW-47C-1 | depth 8.53 ft · 1984-09-29 | 38 km |
| NA04201027DAD1 EW-52U | depth -15.9 ft · 1999-09-30 | 38 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 (0.48)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.75 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$21.1 m in deposits at 1 offices of 1 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 10,000, highly concentrated. $43.5 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $35.2 m, grants $8.2 m), $28,311 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| First Southwest Bank | $21.1 m · 100.0% share · 1 office | |
| Saguache, CO | $43.5 m FY2026 · $28,311/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $34.3 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Southwest Bank | $21,113,000 | 100.0% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 10,000 across 1 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 1 banks with deposits in the county = 100.0² = 10,000
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 | $30,528,940 |
| Department of Transportation | $7,660,693 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $3,643,160 |
| Department of Agriculture | $1,131,660 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $364,367 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $165,063 |
| Department of Education | $30,973 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $11,313 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | -$50,148 |
That is $28,311 per covered job, against 1,536 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $43.5 m / 1,536 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $28,311
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 #
Saguache County, CO: 15 findings, 1 at an alert level, 4 at a watch level and 10 noted
alertSaguache County, CO's covered employment is -9.1% 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 = -9.1 <= -3
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchSaguache County, CO's covered employment is -9.1% 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 = -9.1 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchSaguache County, CO's typical home value is -3.5% 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 = -3.536320803765351 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
watchSaguache County, CO's typical home value of $255,728 scores 57 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 20 across Colorado counties, a gap of 38 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 38 = |57 across US counties - 20 across Colorado counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchSaguache County, CO's years of wages of 5.9 scores 78 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 41 across Colorado counties, a gap of 37 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 37 = |78 across US counties - 41 across Colorado counties|
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
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.