Nelson County, KY
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 37.80, -85.47.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 60th pct · 1,205th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 87th pct · 16th of 120 Kentucky counties · median $181,373
- 27th pct · 9th of 12 counties in the Louisville/Jefferson County metro · median $276,709
- 63rd pct · 1,110th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 93rd pct · 9th of 120 Kentucky counties · median -2.1%
- 90th pct · 2nd of 12 counties in the Louisville/Jefferson County metro · median +1.9%
- 10th pct · 1,255th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 19th pct · 26th of 32 Kentucky counties · median $1,250
- 0th pct · 7th of 7 counties in the Louisville/Jefferson County metro · median $1,360
- 70th pct · 962nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 84th pct · 19th of 120 Kentucky counties · median 5,237
- 63rd pct · 5th of 12 counties in the Louisville/Jefferson County metro · median 16,814
- 52nd pct · 1,534th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 68th pct · 38th of 120 Kentucky counties · median $953
- 36th pct · 8th of 12 counties in the Louisville/Jefferson County metro · median $1,073
- 62nd pct · 1,149th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 87th pct · 16th of 120 Kentucky counties · median 3.6
- 54th pct · 6th of 12 counties in the Louisville/Jefferson County metro · median 4.9
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 $266,104 (Aug 2026), +4.2% over one year, +31.3% over five
- 60th pct · 1,205th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 87th pct · 16th of 120 Kentucky counties · median $181,373
- 27th pct · 9th of 12 counties in the Louisville/Jefferson County metro · median $276,709
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson County, KY | $266,104 · +4.2% 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 #
Typical rent $1,033/mo (Aug 2026), +0.9% over one year; price-to-rent 21.5
- 10th pct · 1,255th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 19th pct · 26th of 32 Kentucky counties · median $1,250
- 0th pct · 7th of 7 counties in the Louisville/Jefferson County metro · median $1,360
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson County, KY | $1,033/mo · +0.9% 1-yr |
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 $1,457 a month on $266,104 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,546 a month: 32.0% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $266,104 × 80% = $212,884, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,457/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,049 × 52 / 12 = $4,546) = 32% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $266,104 / ($1,049 × 52) = 4.9
- price-to-rent = $266,104 / ($1,033 × 12) = 21.5
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 #
19,040 jobs at 1,602 employers (2026 Q1); +3.4% jobs and -3.0% average weekly wage over the year
- 70th pct · 962nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 84th pct · 19th of 120 Kentucky counties · median 5,237
- 63rd pct · 5th of 12 counties in the Louisville/Jefferson County metro · median 16,814
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson County, KY | 19,040 jobs · $1,049/wk · +3.4% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5,308 | $1,346 | 3.47 | -0.9% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,056 | $1,117 | 0.72 | +3.5% |
| Retail trade | 2,003 | $735 | 1.08 | +0.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,725 | $400 | 1.01 | +12.0% |
| Construction | 1,383 | $1,200 | 1.39 | -9.6% |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,135 | $717 | 1.05 | +0.2% |
| Professional and technical services | 796 | $877 | 0.61 | +112.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 695 | $1,244 | 0.87 | +0.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 377 | $1,339 | 0.49 | -1.3% |
| Other services | 319 | $744 | 0.56 | +6.7% |
| Real estate and rental | 93 | $829 | 0.32 | -4.1% |
| Information | 85 | $1,258 | 0.24 | +3.7% |
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 #
77 gauges · 0 flooding · 34 with quality panels averaging 97 % · 19 stale
Sites found: 77, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| BEARGRASS CREEK AT RIVER ROAD AT LOUISVILLE, KY | flow 9.88 ft³/s · quality 63 % (4) | 56 km |
| BEECH FORK AT BARDSTOWN, KY | flow 9.48 ft³/s | 1 km |
| BEECH FORK AT MAUD, KY | flow 4.53 ft³/s | 15 km |
| ROLLING FORK AT NEW HAVEN, KY | flow 11.0 ft³/s | 21 km |
| ROLLING FORK NEAR BOSTON, KY | flow 17.0 ft³/s · low threshold | 21 km |
| LONG LICK AT CLERMONT, KY | flow 1.42 ft³/s | 22 km |
| ROLLING FORK NEAR LEBANON JUNCTION, KY | stage 5.45 ft | 25 km |
| CEDAR CREEK AT HWY 1442 NEAR SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY | flow 0.27 ft³/s · quality 100 % (4) | 26 km |
| BRASHEARS CREEK AT TAYLORSVILLE, KY | flow 12.1 ft³/s | 28 km |
| FLOYDS FORK NEAR SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY | stage 2.32 ft | 29 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 #
57 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 57, 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-374151085413201 | depth 104.3 ft · 2024-05-14 | 23 km |
| USGS-375927085570801 | depth 31.2 ft · 2016-04-20 | 48 km |
| USGS-375833085575601 | depth 36.7 ft · 2022-09-07 | 48 km |
| USGS-375856085581802 | depth 47.4 ft · 2024-03-18 | 49 km |
| USGS-375941085580901 | depth 37.0 ft · 2013-03-06 | 49 km |
| USGS-375817085585801 | depth 33.7 ft · 2017-01-30 | 49 km |
| USGS-375929085583301 | depth 43.3 ft · 2024-09-11 | 49 km |
| USGS-375951085582101 | depth 50.2 ft · 2013-09-29 | 49 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 (0.01)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.03 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.2 bn in deposits at 15 offices of 6 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,391, highly concentrated. $344.3 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $297.3 m, grants $34.5 m), $18,082 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson & Muir Bank & Trust Company | $373.2 m · 32.0% share · 5 offices | |
| Town & Country Bank and Trust Company | $345.5 m · 29.7% share · 4 offices | |
| The Lincoln National Bank of Hodgenville | $207.5 m · 17.8% share · 2 offices | |
| Nelson, KY | $344.3 m FY2026 · $18,082/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $293.4 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson & Muir Bank & Trust Company | $373,227,000 | 32.0% | 5 |
| Town & Country Bank and Trust Company | $345,532,000 | 29.7% | 4 |
| The Lincoln National Bank of Hodgenville | $207,472,000 | 17.8% | 2 |
| WesBanco Bank, Inc. | $127,807,000 | 11.0% | 1 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $60,152,000 | 5.2% | 1 |
| Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company | $50,381,000 | 4.3% | 2 |
Deposit concentration is 2,391 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 = 32.0² + 29.7² + 17.8² + … (3 more) = 2,391
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 | $256,738,680 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $33,778,759 |
| Department of Transportation | $33,051,811 |
| Department of Defense | $8,672,163 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $2,873,291 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $2,739,933 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $2,547,759 |
| Department of Agriculture | $2,399,059 |
| Department of Justice | $1,085,114 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $278,628 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $136,381 |
| Small Business Administration | -$17,465 |
That is $18,082 per covered job, against 19,040 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $344.3 m / 19,040 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $18,082
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 #
Nelson County, KY: 13 findings, 1 at a watch level and 12 noted
watchNelson County, KY's average weekly wage is -3.0% 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 = -3 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
noteNelson County, KY's covered employment was 3.4% 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
- +3.4 % = 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
noteNelson County, KY's average weekly wage was 3.0% 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
- -3 % = 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
noteNelson County, KY's typical asking rent rose 0.3% from $1,029 in July 2026 to $1,033 in August 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.3% = (1032.6666666666667 - 1029.4700486128245) / 1029.4700486128245 × 100
- 1032.6666666666667 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
- 1029.4700486128245 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-07
noteNelson County, KY's price-to-rent ratio of 21.5 ranks 1st of 32 Kentucky counties, against a median of 17.1.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 100 on the 0-to-100 scale across 32 Kentucky counties that published priceToRent
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 12 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.