Russell County, KS
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 38.92, -98.77.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 6th pct · 2,858th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 23rd pct · 81st of 105 Kansas counties · median $153,214
- 96th pct · 93rd of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 97th pct · 4th of 105 Kansas counties · median +4.4%
- US counties: not published this period
- Kansas counties: not published this period
- 20th pct · 2,548th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 50th pct · 53rd of 105 Kansas counties · median 2,554
- 17th pct · 2,664th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 30th pct · 73rd of 105 Kansas counties · median $943
- 12th pct · 2,682nd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 27th pct · 76th 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 $121,297 (Aug 2026), +10.7% over one year, +37.8% over five
- 6th pct · 2,858th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 23rd pct · 81st of 105 Kansas counties · median $153,214
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Russell County, KS | $121,297 · +10.7% 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
- 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 $664 a month on $121,297 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $3,852 a month: 17.2% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $121,297 × 80% = $97,037, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $664/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $889 × 52 / 12 = $3,852) = 17% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $121,297 / ($889 × 52) = 2.6
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 #
2,554 jobs at 294 employers (2026 Q1); +4.5% jobs and +2.1% average weekly wage over the year
- 20th pct · 2,548th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 50th pct · 53rd of 105 Kansas counties · median 2,554
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Russell County, KS | 2,554 jobs · $889/wk · +4.5% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 299 | $1,714 | 1.46 | -2.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 192 | $329 | 0.84 | +0.0% |
| Retail trade | 189 | $474 | 0.76 | -12.9% |
| Mining, oil and gas | 170 | $1,054 | 18.69 | -5.0% |
| Administrative and waste services | 168 | $1,067 | 1.16 | +0.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 99 | $872 | 1.01 | +4.2% |
| Construction | 93 | $1,046 | 0.69 | +3.3% |
| Information | 58 | $937 | 1.23 | -6.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 41 | $1,753 | 0.38 | -14.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 28 | $694 | 1.52 | +21.7% |
| Other services | 18 | $246 | 0.24 | -30.8% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 8 | $459 | 0.19 | +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 #
D1 moderate 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) | 25 km |
| KANOPOLIS LK NR KANOPOLIS, KS | 60,280 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 78 km |
| CEDAR BLUFF RE NR ELLIS, KS | 54,710 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 83 km |
| Harlan County Lake Near Republican City, Nebr. | 170,000 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 134 km |
| HORSETHIEF RE NR JETMORE, KS | 5,391 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 146 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 #
20 gauges · 0 flooding · 0 with quality panels · 3 stale
Sites found: 20, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| SALINE R NR RUSSELL, KS | flow 45.4 ft³/s | 9 km |
| SMOKY HILL R NR BUNKER HILL, KS | flow 58.3 ft³/s · STALE | 14 km |
| PARADISE C NR PARADISE, KS | flow 0.01 ft³/s | 17 km |
| SMOKY HILL R NR RUSSELL, KS | flow 221.0 ft³/s | 17 km |
| SALINE R AT WILSON DAM, KS | stage 2.82 ft | 25 km |
| SMOKY HILL R AT PFEIFER, KS | flow 92.9 ft³/s | 40 km |
| BIG C NR HAYS, KS | flow 24.7 ft³/s | 48 km |
| SMOKY HILL R BL SCHOENCHEN, KS | flow 40.9 ft³/s | 51 km |
| SMOKY HILL R AT ELLSWORTH, KS | flow 546.0 ft³/s | 51 km |
| CHEYENNE BOTTOMS DV NR GREAT BEND, KS | flow 106.0 ft³/s | 52 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 #
5 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 5, 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-384242099165201 | level 1,884 ft · 2026-10-05 | 50 km |
| USGS-384253099180701 | level 1,891 ft · 2026-10-05 | 51 km |
| USGS-384253099185201 | level 1,895 ft · 2026-10-05 | 52 km |
| USGS-384259099195801 | level 1,903 ft · 2026-10-05 | 54 km |
| USGS-384226099203801 | level 1,910 ft · 2026-10-05 | 55 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 (0.25)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 / 0.35
Banks & federal dollars #
$308.4 m in deposits at 6 offices of 6 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,597, highly concentrated. $50.9 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $50.1 m, grants $667,867), $19,924 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Southwind Bank | $131.9 m · 42.8% share · 1 office | |
| UMB Bank, National Association | $59.8 m · 19.4% share · 1 office | |
| Sunflower Bank, National Association | $43.6 m · 14.1% share · 1 office | |
| Russell, KS | $50.9 m FY2026 · $19,924/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $43.4 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwind Bank | $131,905,000 | 42.8% | 1 |
| UMB Bank, National Association | $59,781,000 | 19.4% | 1 |
| Sunflower Bank, National Association | $43,582,000 | 14.1% | 1 |
| The Wilson State Bank | $29,538,000 | 9.6% | 1 |
| The Bennington State Bank | $21,831,000 | 7.1% | 1 |
| The Bank | $21,726,000 | 7.0% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,597 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 = 42.8² + 19.4² + 14.1² + … (3 more) = 2,597
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 | $39,433,117 |
| Department of Agriculture | $6,774,031 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $3,823,068 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $349,989 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $184,833 |
| Department of Transportation | $161,009 |
| Department of Defense | $158,802 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $2,020 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
That is $19,924 per covered job, against 2,554 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $50.9 m / 2,554 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $19,924
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 #
Russell County, KS: 10 findings, 10 noted
noteRussell County, KS' covered employment was 4.5% 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
- +4.5 % = 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
noteRussell County, KS' average weekly wage was 2.1% 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
- +2.1 % = 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
noteRussell County, KS' typical home value rose 0.7% from $120,448 in July 2026 to $121,297 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.7% = (121296.87349907275 - 120447.74190498388) / 120447.74190498388 × 100
- 121296.87349907275 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 120447.74190498388 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteRussell County, KS' momentum index of 0.81 ranks 3rd of 105 Kansas counties, against a median of 0.28.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 98 on the 0-to-100 scale across 105 Kansas counties that published momentum
- 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%)
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteRussell County, KS' momentum index of 0.81 ranks 84th of 3,221 US counties, against a median of 0.23.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 97 on the 0-to-100 scale across 3221 US counties that published momentum
- 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%)
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
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.