Rice County, KS
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 38.35, -98.20.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 6th pct · 2,850th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 24th pct · 80th of 105 Kansas counties · median $153,214
- 95th pct · 132nd of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 93rd pct · 8th of 105 Kansas counties · median +4.4%
- US counties: not published this period
- Kansas counties: not published this period
- 30th pct · 2,249th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 62nd pct · 40th 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
- 9th pct · 2,761st of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 21st pct · 83rd 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 $121,981 (Aug 2026), +9.9% over one year, +31.4% over five
- 6th pct · 2,850th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 24th pct · 80th of 105 Kansas counties · median $153,214
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Rice County, KS | $121,981 · +9.9% 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
- 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 $668 a month on $121,981 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,125 a month: 16.2% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $121,981 × 80% = $97,585, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $668/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 = $121,981 / ($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 #
3,776 jobs at 353 employers (2026 Q1); -1.8% jobs and +3.1% average weekly wage over the year
- 30th pct · 2,249th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 62nd pct · 40th of 105 Kansas counties · median 2,554
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Rice County, KS | 3,776 jobs · $952/wk · -1.8% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 439 | $1,370 | 1.45 | +4.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 333 | $1,058 | 12.21 | +4.7% |
| Retail trade | 189 | $425 | 0.51 | -5.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 152 | $1,431 | 1.05 | +0.0% |
| Construction | 146 | $974 | 0.74 | +7.4% |
| Administrative and waste services | 145 | $1,254 | 0.68 | -20.8% |
| Professional and technical services | 134 | $883 | 0.51 | -14.1% |
| Mining, oil and gas | 129 | $1,363 | 9.59 | +2.4% |
| Information | 38 | $1,474 | 0.55 | +2.7% |
| Other services | 34 | $512 | 0.30 | -17.1% |
| Utilities | withheld | |||
| Transportation and warehousing | withheld |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| KANOPOLIS LK NR KANOPOLIS, KS | 60,470 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 35 km |
| WILSON LK NR WILSON, KS | 197,500 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 73 km |
| CHENEY RE NR CHENEY, KS | 155,700 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 78 km |
| MILFORD LAKE NR JUNCTION CITY, KS | 429,700 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 139 km |
| CEDAR BLUFF RE NR ELLIS, KS | 54,680 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 141 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 87 % · 9 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 |
|---|---|---|
| COW C NR LYONS, KS | flow 5.10 ft³/s | 4 km |
| RATTLESNAKE C NR RAYMOND, KS | flow 3.00 ft³/s · STALE | 23 km |
| ARKANSAS R NR NICKERSON, KS | flow 49.0 ft³/s | 24 km |
| COW C NR HUTCHINSON, KS | stage 2.48 ft | 28 km |
| SMOKY HILL R NR LANGLEY, KS | flow 167.0 ft³/s · quality 83 % (3) | 37 km |
| RATTLESNAKE C NR ZENITH, KS | flow 2.82 ft³/s | 41 km |
| SMOKY HILL R AT ELLSWORTH, KS | flow 484.0 ft³/s | 42 km |
| ARKANSAS R AT GREAT BEND, KS | flow 46.8 ft³/s | 49 km |
| CHEYENNE BOTTOMS DV NR GREAT BEND, KS | flow 106.0 ft³/s | 50 km |
| WALNUT C BLW CHEYENNE BTMS DV NR GREAT BEND, KS | flow 3.37 ft³/s · STALE | 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 #
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-381119098435301 | level 1,863 ft · 2016-07-27 | 50 km |
| USGS-380643097353001 | level 1,394 ft · 2017-01-16 | 59 km |
| USGS-375954097363802 | level 1,412 ft · 2016-12-01 | 65 km |
| USGS-375954097363801 | level 1,420 ft · 2016-12-01 | 65 km |
| USGS-375642097385305 | level 1,428 ft · 2017-01-22 | 66 km |
| USGS-375642097385304 | level 1,428 ft · 2017-01-22 | 66 km |
| USGS-375814097324702 | level 1,390 ft · 2017-01-22 | 71 km |
| USGS-375814097324701 | level 1,390 ft · 2017-01-22 | 71 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 (0.36)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.13 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$348.6 m in deposits at 8 offices of 4 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,964, highly concentrated. $76.3 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $75.3 m, grants $949,752), $20,203 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| First Bank | $124.3 m · 35.7% share · 3 offices | |
| Lyons Federal Bank | $114.6 m · 32.9% share · 2 offices | |
| Peoples Bank and Trust Company | $81.4 m · 23.4% share · 2 offices | |
| Rice, KS | $76.3 m FY2026 · $20,203/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $54.9 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Bank | $124,324,000 | 35.7% | 3 |
| Lyons Federal Bank | $114,625,000 | 32.9% | 2 |
| Peoples Bank and Trust Company | $81,417,000 | 23.4% | 2 |
| Bank of the Plains | $28,232,000 | 8.1% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,964 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 = 35.7² + 32.9² + 23.4² + … (1 more) = 2,964
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 | $49,906,346 |
| Department of Agriculture | $18,680,224 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $4,438,042 |
| Department of Education | $1,697,639 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $535,221 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $442,048 |
| Department of Transportation | $363,334 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $224,468 |
| Department of Defense | $0 |
That is $20,203 per covered job, against 3,776 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $76.3 m / 3,776 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $20,203
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 | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| 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 #
Rice County, KS: 10 findings, 2 at a watch level and 8 noted
watchRice County, KS' covered employment is -1.8% 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 = -1.8 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchRice County, KS' covered employment of 3,776 scores 30 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 63 across Kansas counties, a gap of 32 points.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 32 = |30 across US counties - 63 across Kansas counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteRice County, KS' average weekly wage was 3.1% 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
- +3.1 % = 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
noteRice County, KS' covered employment was 1.8% 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
- -1.8 % = 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
noteRice County, KS' typical home value rose 0.3% from $121,630 in July 2026 to $121,981 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.3% = (121981.09153220459 - 121630.22645705339) / 121630.22645705339 × 100
- 121981.09153220459 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 121630.22645705339 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
Read all 10 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.