Mills County, IA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 41.03, -95.62.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 66th pct · 1,041st of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 88th pct · 12th of 99 Iowa counties · median $194,976
- 28th pct · 6th of 8 counties in the Omaha metro · median $304,136
- 58th pct · 1,267th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 37th pct · 62nd of 99 Iowa counties · median +4.6%
- 57th pct · 4th of 8 counties in the Omaha metro · median +3.4%
- US counties: not published this period
- Iowa counties: not published this period
- counties in the Omaha metro: not published this period
- 24th pct · 2,427th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 16th pct · 83rd of 99 Iowa counties · median 5,685
- 0th pct · 8th of 8 counties in the Omaha metro · median 7,066
- 62nd pct · 1,193rd of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 67th pct · 32nd of 99 Iowa counties · median $1,057
- 42nd pct · 5th of 8 counties in the Omaha metro · median $1,143
- 64th pct · 1,086th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 88th pct · 12th of 99 Iowa counties · median 3.5
- 42nd pct · 5th of 8 counties in the Omaha metro · median 5.3
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 $286,375 (Aug 2026), +3.7% over one year, +20.4% over five
- 66th pct · 1,041st of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 88th pct · 12th of 99 Iowa counties · median $194,976
- 28th pct · 6th of 8 counties in the Omaha metro · median $304,136
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Mills County, IA | $286,375 · +3.7% 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 Omaha 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 $1,568 a month on $286,375 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,775 a month: 32.8% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $286,375 × 80% = $229,100, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,568/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,102 × 52 / 12 = $4,775) = 33% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $286,375 / ($1,102 × 52) = 5.0
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 #
3,024 jobs at 476 employers (2026 Q1); -2.9% jobs and -1.2% average weekly wage over the year
- 24th pct · 2,427th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 16th pct · 83rd of 99 Iowa counties · median 5,685
- 0th pct · 8th of 8 counties in the Omaha metro · median 7,066
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Mills County, IA | 3,024 jobs · $1,102/wk · -2.9% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 375 | $587 | 1.27 | +1.1% |
| Health care and social assistance | 360 | $763 | 0.79 | +12.9% |
| Manufacturing | 225 | $1,785 | 0.92 | -3.8% |
| Construction | 220 | $1,229 | 1.39 | +0.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 183 | $333 | 0.67 | -3.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 182 | $2,649 | 1.57 | -6.2% |
| Professional and technical services | 152 | $1,685 | 0.73 | +7.8% |
| Administrative and waste services | 111 | $1,349 | 0.65 | -4.3% |
| Other services | 109 | $778 | 1.21 | +3.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 102 | $1,313 | 0.83 | -5.6% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 68 | $204 | 1.37 | -9.3% |
| Information | 28 | $1,970 | 0.50 | -15.2% |
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 #
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 | 1,358 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 130 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 #
100 gauges · 1 flooding · 15 with quality panels averaging 92 % · 27 stale
Sites found: 100, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wehrspann Lake | MINOR flooding | 47 km |
| Salt Creek near Ashland, Nebr. | stage 8.62 ft · quality 75 % (4) · no flooding | 60 km |
| Silver Creek at Silver City (IFC) | no flooding | 9 km |
| Mud Creek at Henderson (IFC) | no flooding | 11 km |
| Keg Creek at Epperson Avenue near Glenwood, IA | flow 128.0 ft³/s · STALE | 11 km |
| Keg Creek near Mineola (IFC) | no flooding | 14 km |
| West Nishnabotna River at Randolph, IA | flow 2,890 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) · no flooding | 18 km |
| Indian Creek at Emerson (IFC) | no flooding | 19 km |
| West Nishnabotna River near Henderson (IFC) | no flooding | 19 km |
| Missouri River at Plattsmouth, NE | flow 38,000 ft³/s · no flooding · STALE | 21 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 #
55 wells in 2 named aquifers: Sand and gravel aquifers (glaciated regions), Alluvial aquifers
Sites found: 55, 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-404625095452401 | depth 7.04 ft · 1996-10-01 | 31 km |
| USGS-404622095470201 | depth 5.60 ft · 1996-10-01 | 32 km |
| USGS-404622095481601 | depth 4.63 ft · 1996-10-01 | 33 km |
| USGS-404635095492101 | depth 2.78 ft · 1996-10-01 | 33 km |
| USGS-404634095494801 | depth 3.94 ft · 1996-10-01 | 34 km |
| USGS-404634095495501 | depth 4.84 ft · 1996-10-01 | 34 km |
| USGS-404629095500501 | depth 8.22 ft · 2014-12-04 | 34 km |
| USGS-404116095431001 | depth 6.43 ft · 1996-10-01 | 39 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 (0.03)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.08 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$630.6 m in deposits at 7 offices of 6 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 3,020, highly concentrated. $119.5 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $110.0 m, grants $5.4 m), $39,513 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Malvern Bank | $217.7 m · 34.5% share · 1 office | |
| First National Bank of Omaha | $200.9 m · 31.9% share · 1 office | |
| Glenwood State Bank | $178.4 m · 28.3% share · 2 offices | |
| Mills, IA | $119.5 m FY2026 · $39,513/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $100.9 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malvern Bank | $217,726,000 | 34.5% | 1 |
| First National Bank of Omaha | $200,929,000 | 31.9% | 1 |
| Glenwood State Bank | $178,375,000 | 28.3% | 2 |
| First Interstate Bank | $19,179,000 | 3.0% | 1 |
| Houghton State Bank | $11,439,000 | 1.8% | 1 |
| Tri-Valley Bank | $2,944,000 | 0.5% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 3,020 across 6 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 6 banks with deposits in the county = 34.5² + 31.9² + 28.3² + … (3 more) = 3,020
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 | $78,454,859 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $17,967,657 |
| Department of Agriculture | $8,293,822 |
| Department of Transportation | $4,698,938 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $4,541,763 |
| Department of Defense | $3,923,678 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $1,191,426 |
| Department of Justice | $288,960 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $95,394 |
| Department of Education | $38,478 |
| Department of the Interior | $12,400 |
| Small Business Administration | -$20,427 |
That is $39,513 per covered job, against 3,024 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $119.5 m / 3,024 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $39,513
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 | 12.69 | 2026-10-05 | +3.3% |
| 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 | 2026-10-06 | +0.0% |
| 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 #
Mills County, IA: 11 findings, 3 at a watch level and 8 noted
watchMills County, IA's covered employment is -2.9% 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 = -2.9 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchMills County, IA's average weekly wage is -1.2% against a year earlier, a watch level here: average weekly wage below the same quarter a year earlier, before inflation (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; 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.avgWeeklyWage = -1.2 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchMills County, IA's momentum index is -0.27, a watch level here: momentum index in the cooling band (the cooling band of the momentum index computed here, score at or below -0.25; 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: momentum = -0.26845812367289945 <= -0.25
- momentum = Σ wᵢ · clip(changeᵢ / scaleᵢ, −1, 1) / Σ wᵢ over the terms present; weights and scales: home value 1-yr change 0.3 (±10%), rent 1-yr change 0.15 (±10%), jobs over-the-year change 0.3 (±3%), avg weekly wage over-the-year change 0.25 (±6%)
the cooling band of the momentum index computed here, score at or below -0.25; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
noteMills County, IA's covered employment was 2.9% lower 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
- -2.9 % = 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
noteMills County, IA's average weekly wage was 1.2% lower 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
- -1.2 % = 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
Read all 11 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.