Madison County, IA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 41.33, -94.02.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 77th pct · 687th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 97th pct · 3rd of 99 Iowa counties · median $194,976
- 80th pct · 2nd of 6 counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro · median $302,241
- 35th pct · 1,977th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 12th pct · 87th of 99 Iowa counties · median +4.6%
- 40th pct · 4th of 6 counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro · median +1.9%
- US counties: not published this period
- Iowa counties: not published this period
- counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro: not published this period
- 32nd pct · 2,168th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 34th pct · 65th of 99 Iowa counties · median 5,685
- 20th pct · 5th of 6 counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro · median 12,053
- 46th pct · 1,707th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 35th pct · 64th of 99 Iowa counties · median $1,057
- 20th pct · 5th of 6 counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro · median $1,088
- 82nd pct · 530th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 98th pct · 2nd of 99 Iowa counties · median 3.5
- 100th pct · 1st of 6 counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro · median 4.5
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 $339,087 (Aug 2026), +1.6% over one year, +25.0% over five
- 77th pct · 687th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 97th pct · 3rd of 99 Iowa counties · median $194,976
- 80th pct · 2nd of 6 counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro · median $302,241
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Madison County, IA | $339,087 · +1.6% 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
- Iowa counties: not published this period
- counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro: 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 $1,856 a month on $339,087 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,442 a month: 41.8% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $339,087 × 80% = $271,270, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,856/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,025 × 52 / 12 = $4,442) = 42% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $339,087 / ($1,025 × 52) = 6.4
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 #
4,168 jobs at 563 employers (2026 Q1); +0.7% jobs and +4.2% average weekly wage over the year
- 32nd pct · 2,168th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 34th pct · 65th of 99 Iowa counties · median 5,685
- 20th pct · 5th of 6 counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro · median 12,053
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Madison County, IA | 4,168 jobs · $1,025/wk · +0.7% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 586 | $513 | 1.44 | -0.2% |
| Construction | 361 | $1,056 | 1.65 | +8.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 315 | $352 | 0.84 | -2.8% |
| Manufacturing | 248 | $1,075 | 0.74 | +9.3% |
| Management of companies | 232 | $1,719 | 3.32 | +0.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 203 | $2,499 | 1.20 | +8.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 167 | $1,039 | 5.55 | +0.0% |
| Administrative and waste services | 157 | $717 | 0.66 | +0.0% |
| Professional and technical services | 150 | $1,668 | 0.52 | +4.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 132 | $1,692 | 0.83 | +10.9% |
| Other services | 101 | $801 | 0.81 | +9.8% |
| Mining, oil and gas | 80 | $1,794 | 5.39 | +0.0% |
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 #
1 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 1, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Stanberry Lake near Gentry, MO | 1,357 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 121 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 #
29 gauges · 0 flooding · 5 with quality panels averaging 90 % · 8 stale
Sites found: 29, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Raccoon River at Van Meter, IA | flow 10,700 ft³/s | 23 km |
| Raccoon River near West Des Moines, IA | flow 1,320 ft³/s | 29 km |
| South Raccoon River at Redfield, IA | flow 2,640 ft³/s | 31 km |
| North River near Norwalk, IA | flow 835.0 ft³/s | 33 km |
| Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines, IA | flow 13,400 ft³/s | 37 km |
| Middle River near Indianola, IA | flow 1,050 ft³/s | 37 km |
| Walnut Creek at Des Moines, IA | flow 187.0 ft³/s | 39 km |
| Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines, IA | flow 14,200 ft³/s | 42 km |
| Des Moines River blw Raccoon Riv at Des Moines, IA | flow 24,000 ft³/s | 44 km |
| South River near Ackworth, IA | flow 468.0 ft³/s | 44 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 #
9 wells in 1 named aquifer: Sand and gravel aquifers (glaciated regions)
Sites found: 9, 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-413713093380201 | depth 4.54 ft · 2023-10-31 | 45 km |
| USGS-413849093391401 | depth 10.8 ft · 2023-10-31 | 46 km |
| USGS-413835093384601 | depth 8.63 ft · 2023-10-31 | 46 km |
| USGS-413909093391501 | depth 11.3 ft · 2023-10-31 | 47 km |
| USGS-414003093391501 | depth 14.8 ft · 2023-10-31 | 48 km |
| USGS-414034093391801 | depth 19.1 ft · 2022-05-01 | 49 km |
| USGS-414034093391803 | depth 19.1 ft · 2022-05-01 | 49 km |
| USGS-414035093391801 | depth 18.0 ft · 2022-05-01 | 49 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 (0.04)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.10 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$465.8 m in deposits at 8 offices of 4 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 3,169, highly concentrated. $103.5 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $100.1 m, grants $3.2 m), $24,830 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Farmers and Merchants State Bank | $210.0 m · 45.1% share · 3 offices | |
| Union State Bank | $121.0 m · 26.0% share · 2 offices | |
| Earlham Savings Bank | $89.0 m · 19.1% share · 2 offices | |
| Madison, IA | $103.5 m FY2026 · $24,830/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $97.8 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmers and Merchants State Bank | $209,955,000 | 45.1% | 3 |
| Union State Bank | $121,016,000 | 26.0% | 2 |
| Earlham Savings Bank | $89,026,000 | 19.1% | 2 |
| American State Bank | $45,793,000 | 9.8% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 3,169 across 4 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 4 banks with deposits in the county = 45.1² + 26.0² + 19.1² + … (1 more) = 3,169
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 | $85,221,685 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $12,241,006 |
| Department of Transportation | $3,195,485 |
| Department of Agriculture | $2,254,446 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $361,219 |
| Department of Commerce | $200,000 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $16,974 |
That is $24,830 per covered job, against 4,168 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $103.5 m / 4,168 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $24,830
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 #
Madison County, IA: 7 findings, 7 noted
noteMadison County, IA's average weekly wage was 4.2% 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
- +4.2 % = 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
noteMadison County, IA's covered employment was 0.7% 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
- +0.7 % = 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
noteMadison County, IA's typical home value rose 0.3% from $338,190 in July 2026 to $339,087 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.3% = (339086.93116368353 - 338189.870720662) / 338189.870720662 × 100
- 339086.93116368353 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 338189.870720662 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteMadison County, IA's years of wages of 6.4 ranks 1st of 6 counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro, against a median of 4.5.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 100 on the 0-to-100 scale across 6 counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro that published yearsOfWages
- 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
noteMadison County, IA's years of wages of 6.4 ranks 2nd of 99 Iowa counties, against a median of 3.5.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 99 on the 0-to-100 scale across 99 Iowa counties that published yearsOfWages
- 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 7 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.