Hancock County, KY
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 37.84, -86.79.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 38th pct · 1,890th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 63rd pct · 45th of 120 Kentucky counties · median $181,373
- 75th pct · 752nd of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 97th pct · 4th of 120 Kentucky counties · median -2.1%
- US counties: not published this period
- Kentucky counties: not published this period
- 29th pct · 2,258th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 42nd pct · 70th of 120 Kentucky counties · median 5,237
- 97th pct · 96th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 100th pct · 1st of 120 Kentucky counties · median $953
- 6th pct · 2,875th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 10th pct · 107th of 120 Kentucky counties · median 3.6
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 $204,283 (Aug 2026), +5.4% over one year, +35.6% over five
- 38th pct · 1,890th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 63rd pct · 45th of 120 Kentucky counties · median $181,373
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Hancock County, KY | $204,283 · +5.4% 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
- Kentucky 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 $1,118 a month on $204,283 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $7,713 a month: 14.5% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $204,283 × 80% = $163,427, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,118/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,780 × 52 / 12 = $7,713) = 14% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $204,283 / ($1,780 × 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 #
3,737 jobs at 238 employers (2026 Q1); +2.1% jobs and +1.7% average weekly wage over the year
- 29th pct · 2,258th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 42nd pct · 70th of 120 Kentucky counties · median 5,237
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Hancock County, KY | 3,737 jobs · $1,780/wk · +2.1% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2,434 | $2,226 | 8.10 | +3.6% |
| Retail trade | 102 | $559 | 0.28 | -2.9% |
| Administrative and waste services | 63 | $880 | 0.30 | +14.5% |
| Other services | 57 | $513 | 0.51 | -27.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 51 | $1,015 | 0.33 | +2.0% |
| Professional and technical services | 27 | $2,077 | 0.10 | -15.6% |
| Real estate and rental | 7 | $464 | 0.12 | -12.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | withheld | |||
| Utilities | withheld | |||
| Construction | withheld | |||
| Wholesale trade | 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 #
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 #
32 gauges · 0 flooding · 3 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 6 stale
Sites found: 32, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| OHIO RIVER AT CANNELTON DAM AT CANNELTON, IN | flow 37,000 ft³/s | 10 km |
| SOUTH FORK PANTHER CREEK NEAR WHITESVILLE, KY | stage 6.47 ft | 26 km |
| OHIO RIVER AT RIVERPORT AT OWENSBORO, KY | stage 19.3 ft | 31 km |
| CROOKED CREEK NEAR SANTA CLAUS, IN | flow 0.26 ft³/s · STALE | 32 km |
| MIDDLE FORK ANDERSON RIVER AT BRISTOW, IN | flow 1.73 ft³/s | 33 km |
| ROUGH RIVER NEAR DUNDEE, KY | flow 111.0 ft³/s | 33 km |
| ROUGH RIVER NEAR FALLS OF ROUGH AT DAM, KY | stage 33.2 ft · quality 100 % (1) | 35 km |
| SINKING CREEK NEAR LODIBURG, KY | flow 120.0 ft³/s · STALE | 36 km |
| CANEY CREEK NEAR HORSE BRANCH, KY | flow 0.00 ft³/s | 44 km |
| ROUGH RIVER AT HARTFORD, KY | flow 254.0 ft³/s | 45 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 #
15 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 15, 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-375406087105401 | depth 2.35 ft · 2025-02-23 | 35 km |
| USGS-375936086001301 | depth 23.5 ft · 1998-06-16 | 71 km |
| USGS-375918085591901 | depth 31.1 ft · 2017-01-31 | 72 km |
| USGS-375937085592101 | depth 36.0 ft · 2017-01-31 | 72 km |
| USGS-375817085585801 | depth 33.7 ft · 2017-01-30 | 72 km |
| USGS-375944085591002 | depth 38.0 ft · 2018-05-08 | 73 km |
| USGS-375947085585501 | depth 15.7 ft · 2024-09-24 | 73 km |
| USGS-375920085584301 | depth 28.4 ft · 1998-06-15 | 73 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 #
$186.8 m in deposits at 4 offices of 2 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 5,013, highly concentrated. $56.7 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $55.8 m, grants $946,000), $15,174 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Independence Bank of Kentucky | $98.2 m · 52.6% share · 2 offices | |
| First Financial Bank, National Association | $88.6 m · 47.4% share · 2 offices | |
| Hancock, KY | $56.7 m FY2026 · $15,174/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $55.2 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Bank of Kentucky | $98,184,000 | 52.6% | 2 |
| First Financial Bank, National Association | $88,630,000 | 47.4% | 2 |
Deposit concentration is 5,013 across 2 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 2 banks with deposits in the county = 52.6² + 47.4² = 5,013
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 | $49,626,349 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $5,491,952 |
| Department of Transportation | $946,000 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $410,298 |
| Department of Agriculture | $186,294 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $42,624 |
| Department of the Interior | $0 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
That is $15,174 per covered job, against 3,737 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $56.7 m / 3,737 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $15,174
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 #
Hancock County, KY: 9 findings, 9 noted
noteHancock County, KY's covered employment 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
noteHancock County, KY's average weekly wage was 1.7% 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
- +1.7 % = 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
noteHancock County, KY's typical home value rose 0.7% from $202,903 in July 2026 to $204,283 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.7% = (204283.17682553118 - 202902.99968173495) / 202902.99968173495 × 100
- 204283.17682553118 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 202902.99968173495 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteHancock County, KY's average weekly wage of $1,780 ranks 1st of 120 Kentucky counties, against a median of $953.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 100 on the 0-to-100 scale across 120 Kentucky counties that published jobs.avgWeeklyWage
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteHancock County, KY's typical home value of +5.4% ranks 4th of 120 Kentucky counties, against a median of -2.1%.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 97 on the 0-to-100 scale across 120 Kentucky counties that published home.yoyPct
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 9 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.