Union County, KY
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 37.66, -87.95.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 13th pct · 2,646th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 27th pct · 87th of 120 Kentucky counties · median $181,373
- 29th pct · 2,159th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 73rd pct · 32nd of 120 Kentucky counties · median -2.1%
- US counties: not published this period
- Kentucky counties: not published this period
- 39th pct · 1,962nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 52nd pct · 58th of 120 Kentucky counties · median 5,237
- 72nd pct · 878th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 84th pct · 19th of 120 Kentucky counties · median $953
- 8th pct · 2,809th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 15th pct · 101st 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 $143,758 (Aug 2026), +1.1% over one year, +28.7% over five
- 13th pct · 2,646th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 27th pct · 87th of 120 Kentucky counties · median $181,373
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Union County, KY | $143,758 · +1.1% 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 $787 a month on $143,758 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,070 a month: 15.5% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $143,758 × 80% = $115,007, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $787/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,170 × 52 / 12 = $5,070) = 16% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $143,758 / ($1,170 × 52) = 2.4
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 #
5,363 jobs at 391 employers (2026 Q1); +0.8% jobs and +1.9% average weekly wage over the year
- 39th pct · 1,962nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 52nd pct · 58th of 120 Kentucky counties · median 5,237
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Union County, KY | 5,363 jobs · $1,170/wk · +0.8% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 897 | $1,103 | 2.08 | -2.5% |
| Retail trade | 510 | $571 | 0.98 | -3.6% |
| Construction | 376 | $1,709 | 1.34 | +4.4% |
| Administrative and waste services | 321 | $975 | 1.05 | +48.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 247 | $324 | 0.51 | -3.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 166 | $1,621 | 0.81 | -1.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 112 | $1,821 | 0.51 | +8.7% |
| Professional and technical services | 46 | $867 | 0.12 | -25.8% |
| Real estate and rental | 16 | $545 | 0.19 | -5.9% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 11 | $363 | 0.12 | +0.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | withheld | |||
| Mining, oil and gas | 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 #
D0 abnormally dry
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 #
24 gauges · 0 flooding · 3 with quality panels averaging 93 % · 2 stale
Sites found: 24, 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 UNIONTOWN DAM, KY | stage 15.3 ft | 16 km |
| USGS-374815087555101 | stage 11.8 ft | 16 km |
| OHIO RIVER AT OLD SHAWNEETOWN, IL-KY | flow 255,000 ft³/s | 17 km |
| BEAVERDAM CREEK NEAR CORYDON, KY | flow 0.00 ft³/s · STALE | 23 km |
| TRADEWATER RIVER NEAR PROVIDENCE, KY | flow 57.7 ft³/s | 31 km |
| OHIO RIVER AT HENDERSON, KY | stage 13.3 ft | 38 km |
| OHIO RIVER AT EVANSVILLE, IN | stage 14.9 ft | 48 km |
| LITTLE WABASH RIVER AT CARMI, IL | flow 37.4 ft³/s | 48 km |
| MIDDLE FORK SALINE RIVER NEAR HARRISBURG, IL | stage 9.01 ft | 49 km |
| BIG CREEK NEAR WADESVILLE, IN | flow 1.81 ft³/s | 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 #
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-374453088261701 | depth 9.92 ft · 2026-10-05 | 44 km |
| USGS-380758087551001 | depth 17.6 ft · 2026-10-05 | 53 km |
| USGS-380626087344401 | depth 23.9 ft · 2026-10-05 | 60 km |
| USGS-370733087291201 | depth 7.02 ft · 1983-09-08 | 72 km |
| USGS-375406087105401 | depth 2.35 ft · 2025-02-23 | 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 (0.02)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.07 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$547.4 m in deposits at 7 offices of 4 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 4,467, highly concentrated. $112.9 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $92.2 m, grants $20.7 m), $21,046 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| United Community Bank of West Kentucky, Inc. | $346.5 m · 63.3% share · 3 offices | |
| Old National Bank | $77.7 m · 14.2% share · 1 office | |
| Planters Bank, Inc. | $71.4 m · 13.0% share · 2 offices | |
| Union, KY | $112.9 m FY2026 · $21,046/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $84.3 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Community Bank of West Kentucky, Inc. | $346,475,000 | 63.3% | 3 |
| Old National Bank | $77,717,000 | 14.2% | 1 |
| Planters Bank, Inc. | $71,431,000 | 13.0% | 2 |
| Fifth Third Bank, National Association | $51,788,000 | 9.5% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 4,467 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 = 63.3² + 14.2² + 13.0² + … (1 more) = 4,467
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 | $76,196,900 |
| Department of Transportation | $19,746,800 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $7,843,410 |
| Department of Agriculture | $7,326,405 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $1,195,694 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $213,563 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $158,501 |
| Department of Justice | $97,936 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $75,000 |
| Department of Labor | $15,416 |
That is $21,046 per covered job, against 5,363 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $112.9 m / 5,363 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $21,046
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 #
Union County, KY: 6 findings, 1 at a watch level and 5 noted
watchUnion County, KY's typical home value of +1.1% scores 30 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 74 across Kentucky counties, a gap of 44 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 44 = |30 across US counties - 74 across Kentucky counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteUnion County, KY's average weekly wage was 1.9% 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
- +1.9 % = 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
noteUnion County, KY's typical home value rose 0.9% from $142,480 in July 2026 to $143,758 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.9% = (143758.2983299932 - 142480.107352384) / 142480.107352384 × 100
- 143758.2983299932 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 142480.107352384 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteUnion County, KY's covered employment was 0.8% 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
- +0.8 % = 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
noteUnion County, KY's years of wages of 2.4 ranks 2,809th of 3,063 US counties, against a median of 4.3.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 8 on the 0-to-100 scale across 3063 US counties that published yearsOfWages
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 6 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.