Wright County, IA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 42.73, -93.73.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 11th pct · 2,726th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 4th pct · 95th of 99 Iowa counties · median $194,976
- 28th pct · 2,194th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 8th pct · 91st of 99 Iowa counties · median +4.6%
- US counties: not published this period
- Iowa counties: not published this period
- 43rd pct · 1,818th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 58th pct · 42nd of 99 Iowa counties · median 5,685
- 73rd pct · 868th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 79th pct · 21st of 99 Iowa counties · median $1,057
- 6th pct · 2,870th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 2nd pct · 97th of 99 Iowa counties · median 3.5
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 $136,258 (Aug 2026), +0.9% over one year, +19.2% over five
- 11th pct · 2,726th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 4th pct · 95th of 99 Iowa counties · median $194,976
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wright County, IA | $136,258 · +0.9% 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
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 $746 a month on $136,258 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,083 a month: 14.7% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $136,258 × 80% = $109,006, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $746/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,173 × 52 / 12 = $5,083) = 15% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $136,258 / ($1,173 × 52) = 2.2
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 #
6,330 jobs at 446 employers (2026 Q1); +0.5% jobs and +0.1% average weekly wage over the year
- 43rd pct · 1,818th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 58th pct · 42nd of 99 Iowa counties · median 5,685
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wright County, IA | 6,330 jobs · $1,173/wk · +0.5% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,630 | $1,279 | 3.20 | +8.9% |
| Retail trade | 411 | $498 | 0.67 | -4.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 377 | $1,507 | 1.55 | -2.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 231 | $295 | 0.41 | +2.2% |
| Construction | 161 | $1,076 | 0.49 | -3.6% |
| Administrative and waste services | 155 | $811 | 0.43 | +121.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 150 | $2,382 | 0.58 | +4.9% |
| Professional and technical services | 73 | $1,282 | 0.17 | -7.6% |
| Other services | 73 | $870 | 0.39 | -9.9% |
| Management of companies | 45 | $2,983 | 0.42 | -2.2% |
| Information | 23 | $917 | 0.20 | -14.8% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 20 | $167 | 0.19 | -31.0% |
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 #
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 #
27 gauges · 0 flooding · 2 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 4 stale
Sites found: 27, 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-05480930 | stage 85.3 ft | 2 km |
| USGS-05449500 | flow 126.0 ft³/s | 10 km |
| USGS-05480820 | flow 166.0 ft³/s | 17 km |
| USGS-05451080 | flow 0.21 ft³/s · quality 100 % (4) | 24 km |
| USGS-05480986 | flow 0.00 ft³/s · STALE | 27 km |
| USGS-05449000 | flow 65.0 ft³/s · STALE | 32 km |
| USGS-05481000 | flow 884.0 ft³/s | 34 km |
| USGS-05479000 | flow 480.0 ft³/s | 37 km |
| USGS-05476750 | flow 738.0 ft³/s | 40 km |
| USGS-05448400 | stage 76.3 ft | 41 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 #
8 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 8, 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-422610093474203 | depth 63.3 ft · 2004-06-15 | 33 km |
| USGS-422610093474202 | depth 52.0 ft · 2004-06-15 | 33 km |
| USGS-430159093403201 | depth 11.0 ft · 2017-10-10 | 34 km |
| USGS-430510093425101 | depth 3.30 ft · 2026-10-05 | 39 km |
| USGS-424539094152401 | depth 0.48 ft · 2004-05-23 | 43 km |
| USGS-424539094152405 | depth 37.8 ft · 2004-05-25 | 43 km |
| USGS-424539094152402 | depth 37.9 ft · 2004-06-15 | 43 km |
| USGS-424539094152403 | depth 42.1 ft · 2004-05-17 | 43 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 (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$588.1 m in deposits at 9 offices of 6 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,222, highly concentrated. $92.8 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $88.3 m, grants $4.4 m), $14,664 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| First Citizens Bank | $202.0 m · 34.3% share · 1 office | |
| First State Bank | $117.8 m · 20.0% share · 1 office | |
| First Bank | $115.7 m · 19.7% share · 3 offices | |
| Wright, IA | $92.8 m FY2026 · $14,664/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $73.4 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Citizens Bank | $201,956,000 | 34.3% | 1 |
| First State Bank | $117,801,000 | 20.0% | 1 |
| First Bank | $115,695,000 | 19.7% | 3 |
| First State Bank | $69,412,000 | 11.8% | 2 |
| Green Belt Bank & Trust | $57,808,000 | 9.8% | 1 |
| United Bank and Trust Company | $25,477,000 | 4.3% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,222 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 = 34.3² + 20.0² + 19.7² + … (3 more) = 2,222
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 | $66,501,255 |
| Department of Agriculture | $15,197,109 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $5,239,024 |
| Department of Transportation | $4,090,907 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,546,582 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $125,219 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $122,090 |
That is $14,664 per covered job, against 6,330 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $92.8 m / 6,330 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $14,664
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 #
Wright County, IA: 8 findings, 8 noted
noteWright County, IA's typical home value fell 0.6% from $137,036 in July 2026 to $136,258 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- -0.6% = (136257.98352114108 - 137035.771027435) / 137035.771027435 × 100
- 136257.98352114108 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 137035.771027435 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteWright County, IA's covered employment was 0.5% 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
- +0.5 % = 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
noteWright County, IA's average weekly wage 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
noteWright County, IA's years of wages of 2.2 ranks 97th of 99 Iowa counties, against a median of 3.5.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 2 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
noteWright County, IA's typical home value of $136,258 ranks 95th of 99 Iowa counties, against a median of $194,976.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 4 on the 0-to-100 scale across 99 Iowa counties that published home.latest
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.