Barton County, KS
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 38.48, -98.77.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 7th pct · 2,838th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 26th pct · 77th of 105 Kansas counties · median $153,214
- 96th pct · 118th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 95th pct · 6th of 105 Kansas counties · median +4.4%
- US counties: not published this period
- Kansas counties: not published this period
- 57th pct · 1,366th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 80th pct · 21st of 105 Kansas counties · median 2,554
- 29th pct · 2,256th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 52nd pct · 50th of 105 Kansas counties · median $943
- 10th pct · 2,751st of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 22nd pct · 82nd of 105 Kansas counties · median 3.2
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 $123,108 (Aug 2026), +10.3% over one year, +40.1% over five
- 7th pct · 2,838th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 26th pct · 77th of 105 Kansas counties · median $153,214
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Barton County, KS | $123,108 · +10.3% 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
- Kansas 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 $674 a month on $123,108 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,125 a month: 16.3% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $123,108 × 80% = $98,486, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $674/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $952 × 52 / 12 = $4,125) = 16% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $123,108 / ($952 × 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 #
11,298 jobs at 894 employers (2026 Q1); +0.4% jobs and -1.4% average weekly wage over the year
- 57th pct · 1,366th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 80th pct · 21st of 105 Kansas counties · median 2,554
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Barton County, KS | 11,298 jobs · $952/wk · +0.4% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,494 | $655 | 1.36 | -0.5% |
| Manufacturing | 1,042 | $1,027 | 1.15 | +0.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 781 | $371 | 0.77 | +0.9% |
| Construction | 634 | $1,203 | 1.07 | -3.2% |
| Administrative and waste services | 477 | $1,061 | 0.74 | -2.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 459 | $1,435 | 1.06 | -4.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 420 | $1,495 | 0.91 | -3.7% |
| Mining, oil and gas | 269 | $1,118 | 6.69 | -25.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 248 | $987 | 3.04 | -2.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 245 | $1,377 | 0.51 | -3.2% |
| Other services | 200 | $944 | 0.59 | +3.1% |
| Utilities | 142 | $2,067 | 3.18 | +6.0% |
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 #
D2 severe 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 #
5 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 5, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| WILSON LK NR WILSON, KS | 197,400 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 59 km |
| KANOPOLIS LK NR KANOPOLIS, KS | 60,280 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 71 km |
| CEDAR BLUFF RE NR ELLIS, KS | 54,710 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 90 km |
| CHENEY RE NR CHENEY, KS | 155,700 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 120 km |
| HORSETHIEF RE NR JETMORE, KS | 5,391 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 #
26 gauges · 0 flooding · 1 with quality panels averaging 67 % · 4 stale
Sites found: 26, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CHEYENNE BOTTOMS DV NR GREAT BEND, KS | flow 106.0 ft³/s | 4 km |
| WALNUT C BLW CHEYENNE BTMS DV NR GREAT BEND, KS | flow 3.37 ft³/s · STALE | 7 km |
| ARKANSAS R AT GREAT BEND, KS | flow 18.4 ft³/s · no flooding | 14 km |
| WALNUT C AT ALBERT, KS | flow 55.4 ft³/s · no flooding | 22 km |
| SMOKY HILL R NR RUSSELL, KS | flow 221.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 34 km |
| SMOKY HILL R NR BUNKER HILL, KS | flow 58.3 ft³/s · STALE | 35 km |
| ARKANSAS R NR LARNED, KS | flow 255.0 ft³/s | 37 km |
| RATTLESNAKE C NR RAYMOND, KS | flow 3.00 ft³/s · STALE | 41 km |
| SMOKY HILL R AT PFEIFER, KS | flow 92.9 ft³/s | 42 km |
| RATTLESNAKE C NR ZENITH, KS | flow 2.71 ft³/s · no flooding | 47 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 #
6 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 6, 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-381119098435301 | level 1,863 ft · 2016-07-27 | 33 km |
| USGS-384242099165201 | level 1,884 ft · 2026-10-05 | 51 km |
| USGS-384253099180701 | level 1,891 ft · 2026-10-05 | 53 km |
| USGS-384253099185201 | level 1,895 ft · 2026-10-05 | 54 km |
| USGS-384259099195801 | level 1,903 ft · 2026-10-05 | 56 km |
| USGS-384226099203801 | level 1,910 ft · 2026-10-05 | 56 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 (0.44)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.33 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.2 bn in deposits at 19 offices of 10 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,962, highly concentrated. $182.7 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $174.3 m, grants $8.3 m), $16,168 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Farmers Bank & Trust | $388.8 m · 33.4% share · 3 offices | |
| First Kansas Bank | $222.6 m · 19.1% share · 3 offices | |
| Peoples Bank and Trust Company | $184.7 m · 15.9% share · 2 offices | |
| Barton, KS | $182.7 m FY2026 · $16,168/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $147.1 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmers Bank & Trust | $388,813,000 | 33.4% | 3 |
| First Kansas Bank | $222,626,000 | 19.1% | 3 |
| Peoples Bank and Trust Company | $184,719,000 | 15.9% | 2 |
| Sunflower Bank, National Association | $143,018,000 | 12.3% | 2 |
| Landmark National Bank | $76,137,000 | 6.5% | 3 |
| Equity Bank | $49,146,000 | 4.2% | 1 |
| Bank of the Plains | $36,246,000 | 3.1% | 1 |
| The Wilson State Bank | $28,630,000 | 2.5% | 1 |
| BMO Bank National Association | $23,268,000 | 2.0% | 1 |
| Central National Bank | $12,404,000 | 1.1% | 2 |
Deposit concentration is 1,962 across 10 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 10 banks with deposits in the county = 33.4² + 19.1² + 15.9² + … (7 more) = 1,962
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 | $134,753,191 |
| Department of Agriculture | $20,459,318 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $10,378,410 |
| Department of Education | $6,836,416 |
| Department of Transportation | $4,434,832 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $2,005,065 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $1,936,971 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $1,233,678 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $678,690 |
| Corporation for National and Community Service | $96,700 |
| Department of Defense | $16,400 |
| Department of the Interior | $0 |
That is $16,168 per covered job, against 11,298 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $182.7 m / 11,298 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $16,168
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 #
Barton County, KS: 7 findings, 1 at a watch level and 6 noted
watchBarton County, KS' average weekly wage is -1.4% 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 = -1.4 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
noteBarton County, KS' average weekly wage was 1.4% 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
- -1.4 % = 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
noteBarton County, KS' covered employment was 0.4% 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
- +0.4 % = 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
noteBarton County, KS' typical home value of +10.3% ranks 118th of 3,063 US counties, against a median of +2.9%.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 96 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
noteBarton County, KS' typical home value of +10.3% ranks 6th of 105 Kansas counties, against a median of +4.4%.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 95 on the 0-to-100 scale across 105 Kansas counties that published home.yoyPct
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.