Knox County, IL
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 40.93, -90.21.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 7th pct · 2,844th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 24th pct · 77th of 102 Illinois counties · median $158,585
- 98th pct · 33rd of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 99th pct · 2nd of 102 Illinois counties · median +5.2%
- US counties: not published this period
- Illinois counties: not published this period
- 67th pct · 1,041st of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 71st pct · 30th of 102 Illinois counties · median 7,611
- 29th pct · 2,280th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 22nd pct · 79th of 102 Illinois counties · median $1,061
- 10th pct · 2,752nd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 31st pct · 70th of 102 Illinois counties · median 2.8
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 $122,681 (Aug 2026), +13.6% over one year, +19.6% over five
- 7th pct · 2,844th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 24th pct · 77th of 102 Illinois counties · median $158,585
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Knox County, IL | $122,681 · +13.6% 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
- Illinois 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 $672 a month on $122,681 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,112 a month: 16.3% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $122,681 × 80% = $98,145, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $672/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $949 × 52 / 12 = $4,112) = 16% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $122,681 / ($949 × 52) = 2.5
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 #
17,041 jobs at 974 employers (2026 Q1); +0.1% jobs and +4.1% average weekly wage over the year
- 67th pct · 1,041st of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 71st pct · 30th of 102 Illinois counties · median 7,611
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Knox County, IL | 17,041 jobs · $949/wk · +0.1% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 2,183 | $649 | 1.31 | -4.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,449 | $400 | 0.95 | -5.2% |
| Manufacturing | 1,348 | $1,220 | 0.98 | +3.9% |
| Administrative and waste services | 701 | $814 | 0.72 | +8.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 614 | $1,406 | 0.94 | -4.8% |
| Construction | 525 | $1,143 | 0.59 | +11.5% |
| Other services | 462 | $673 | 0.91 | -12.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 312 | $1,485 | 0.45 | +6.5% |
| Professional and technical services | 256 | $960 | 0.22 | +0.0% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 210 | $379 | 0.75 | +13.5% |
| Real estate and rental | 99 | $706 | 0.38 | +5.3% |
| Information | 73 | $859 | 0.23 | +5.8% |
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 #
No drought class at this point (USDM covers the United States only)
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 #
No reservoir gauges within 150 km (or the camera is above the gauge altitude)
Sites found: 0, 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.
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 #
38 gauges · 0 flooding · 17 with quality panels averaging 94 % · 16 stale
Sites found: 38, 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-401913089534501 | turb. 0.10 FNU · quality 80 % (5) | 73 km |
| USGS-401934089541704 | turb. 1.00 FNU · quality 75 % (4) | 72 km |
| USGS-401934089541703 | turb. 0.10 FNU · quality 75 % (4) | 72 km |
| USGS-05568917 | temp 24.4 °C · quality 100 % (1) · STALE | 11 km |
| USGS-05568830 | temp 22.3 °C · quality 100 % (1) · STALE | 20 km |
| USGS-05569500 | flow 1,670 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 25 km |
| USGS-05568800 | flow 94.0 ft³/s | 33 km |
| USGS-05466000 | flow 54.0 ft³/s · STALE | 40 km |
| USGS-05568770 | temp 20.6 °C · quality 100 % (1) · STALE | 44 km |
| USGS-05570000 | flow 2,490 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 50 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 #
5 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 5, 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-401934089541701 | depth 5.23 ft · 2026-10-05 | 72 km |
| USGS-401934089541705 | depth 4.60 ft · 2026-10-05 | 72 km |
| USGS-401934089541702 | depth 4.60 ft · 2026-10-05 | 72 km |
| USGS-401934089541706 | depth 4.79 ft · 2026-10-05 | 72 km |
| USGS-401913089534501 | depth 18.8 ft · 2026-10-05 | 73 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 #
low (0.02)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.06 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$2.2 bn in deposits at 18 offices of 12 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,736, highly concentrated. $355.3 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $330.6 m, grants $24.7 m), $20,850 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $1.1 bn · 48.2% share · 1 office | |
| CBI Bank & Trust | $317.5 m · 14.2% share · 3 offices | |
| Tompkins State Bank | $227.1 m · 10.2% share · 3 offices | |
| Knox, IL | $355.3 m FY2026 · $20,850/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $314.2 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $1,075,384,000 | 48.2% | 1 |
| CBI Bank & Trust | $317,520,000 | 14.2% | 3 |
| Tompkins State Bank | $227,119,000 | 10.2% | 3 |
| First Mid Bank & Trust, National Association | $136,697,000 | 6.1% | 1 |
| Old National Bank | $106,715,000 | 4.8% | 1 |
| Anderson State Bank | $90,314,000 | 4.0% | 1 |
| Midwest Bank | $72,085,000 | 3.2% | 2 |
| Bank of Yates City | $70,487,000 | 3.2% | 1 |
| Raritan State Bank | $57,266,000 | 2.6% | 1 |
| Community State Bank | $48,924,000 | 2.2% | 2 |
Deposit concentration is 2,736 across 12 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 12 banks with deposits in the county = 48.2² + 14.2² + 10.2² + … (9 more) = 2,736
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 | $259,989,892 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $27,811,089 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $26,332,676 |
| Department of Transportation | $14,928,215 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $7,210,303 |
| Department of Education | $6,812,678 |
| Department of Agriculture | $6,332,685 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $5,190,149 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $356,930 |
| National Science Foundation | $349,728 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $0 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
That is $20,850 per covered job, against 17,041 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $355.3 m / 17,041 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $20,850
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 #
Knox County, IL: 8 findings, 8 noted
noteKnox County, IL's average weekly wage was 4.1% 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
- +4.1 % = 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
noteKnox County, IL's typical home value fell 0.4% from $123,113 in July 2026 to $122,681 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- -0.4% = (122680.70938616863 - 123113.34187099844) / 123113.34187099844 × 100
- 122680.70938616863 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 123113.34187099844 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteKnox County, IL's covered employment was 0.1% 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
- +0.1 % = 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
noteKnox County, IL's typical home value of +13.6% ranks 2nd of 102 Illinois counties, against a median of +5.2%.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 99 on the 0-to-100 scale across 102 Illinois counties that published home.yoyPct
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteKnox County, IL's typical home value of +13.6% ranks 33rd of 3,063 US counties, against a median of +2.9%.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 99 on the 0-to-100 scale across 3063 US counties that published home.yoyPct
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 8 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.