Worcester County, MD
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 38.22, -75.31.
Assembled 2026-10-07. Read the brief.
- 88th pct · 357th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 52nd pct · 12th of 24 Maryland counties · median $420,593
- 14th pct · 2,629th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 8th pct · 22nd of 24 Maryland counties · median +1.0%
- 83rd pct · 235th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 57th pct · 9th of 20 Maryland counties · median $1,960
- 74th pct · 836th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 34th pct · 16th of 24 Maryland counties · median 44,580
- 25th pct · 2,391st of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 0th pct · 24th of 24 Maryland counties · median $1,216
- 95th pct · 153rd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 95th pct · 2nd of 24 Maryland counties · median 5.8
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 $422,936 (Aug 2026), -1.1% over one year, +18.7% over five
- 88th pct · 357th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 52nd pct · 12th of 24 Maryland counties · median $420,593
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester County, MD | $422,936 · -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 #
Typical rent $2,002/mo (Aug 2026), +4.7% over one year; price-to-rent 17.6
- 83rd pct · 235th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 57th pct · 9th of 20 Maryland counties · median $1,960
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester County, MD | $2,002/mo · +4.7% 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 $2,315 a month on $422,936 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,039 a month: 57.3% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $422,936 × 80% = $338,349, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $2,315/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $932 × 52 / 12 = $4,039) = 57% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $422,936 / ($932 × 52) = 8.7
- price-to-rent = $422,936 / ($2,002 × 12) = 17.6
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 #
23,461 jobs at 2,485 employers (2026 Q1); +0.2% jobs and +3.4% average weekly wage over the year
- 74th pct · 836th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 34th pct · 16th of 24 Maryland counties · median 44,580
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester County, MD | 23,461 jobs · $932/wk · +0.2% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 6,723 | $574 | 3.19 | +5.8% |
| Retail trade | 3,735 | $702 | 1.63 | +1.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,373 | $1,142 | 0.67 | -7.9% |
| Construction | 1,085 | $1,023 | 0.88 | -9.3% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 894 | $737 | 2.31 | -0.7% |
| Professional and technical services | 800 | $1,262 | 0.49 | -7.4% |
| Manufacturing | 799 | $1,243 | 0.42 | +1.9% |
| Administrative and waste services | 651 | $947 | 0.49 | +2.7% |
| Other services | 649 | $794 | 0.93 | -10.9% |
| Real estate and rental | 537 | $911 | 1.49 | -8.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 440 | $2,278 | 0.46 | +1.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 307 | $1,094 | 0.34 | +2.7% |
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 #
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 #
52 gauges · 0 flooding · 20 with quality panels averaging 69 % · 38 stale
Sites found: 52, 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-380528075124301 | temp 18.1 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 17 km |
| USGS-380527075124101 | temp 15.3 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 17 km |
| MASSEY DITCH AT MASSEY LANDING, DE | DO 7.70 mg/l · quality 75 % (4) | 48 km |
| USGS-384428075355701 | DO 5.90 mg/l · quality 75 % (4) · STALE | 63 km |
| USGS-384526075091601 | DO 4.10 mg/l · quality 63 % (4) · STALE | 61 km |
| USGS-381922076043001 | temp 18.4 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 68 km |
| USGS-381804075063402 | temp 13.4 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 20 km |
| FARM CREEK NEAR TODDVILLE, MD | stage 0.13 ft · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 69 km |
| USGS-381805075063502 | temp 14.9 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 20 km |
| USGS-380527075124102 | temp 19.2 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 17 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 #
76 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 76, 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-381157075092902 | level 1.28 ft · 2015-09-30 | 14 km |
| USGS-381157075092901 | level 0.70 ft · 2015-09-30 | 14 km |
| USGS-381155075091801 | level 1.44 ft · 2015-09-30 | 14 km |
| USGS-381155075091802 | level 2.41 ft · 2015-09-30 | 14 km |
| USGS-380837075112201 | level 0.97 ft · 2015-10-07 | 14 km |
| USGS-380837075112202 | level 0.39 ft · 2015-10-07 | 14 km |
| USGS-380734075111302 | level 1.76 ft · 2015-10-07 | 15 km |
| USGS-380734075111301 | level 1.55 ft · 2015-10-07 | 15 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 (0.11)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.31 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$2.6 bn in deposits at 31 offices of 13 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,510, moderately concentrated. $527.0 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $446.9 m, contracts $57.0 m), $22,462 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Calvin B. Taylor Banking Company of Berlin, Maryland | $692.5 m · 26.6% share · 8 offices | |
| Bank of Ocean City | $504.9 m · 19.4% share · 4 offices | |
| Truist Bank | $328.7 m · 12.6% share · 2 offices | |
| Worcester, MD | $527.0 m FY2026 · $22,462/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $441.8 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calvin B. Taylor Banking Company of Berlin, Maryland | $692,476,000 | 26.6% | 8 |
| Bank of Ocean City | $504,949,000 | 19.4% | 4 |
| Truist Bank | $328,738,000 | 12.6% | 2 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $274,866,000 | 10.6% | 2 |
| Bank of America, National Association | $206,850,000 | 8.0% | 1 |
| Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | $153,890,000 | 5.9% | 2 |
| First Shore Federal Savings and Loan Association | $119,697,000 | 4.6% | 3 |
| The Farmers Bank of Willards | $83,616,000 | 3.2% | 2 |
| Atlantic Union Bank | $78,337,000 | 3.0% | 1 |
| Shore United Bank, National Association | $71,335,000 | 2.7% | 2 |
Deposit concentration is 1,510 across 13 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 13 banks with deposits in the county = 26.6² + 19.4² + 12.6² + … (10 more) = 1,510
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 | $405,599,434 |
| Department of Defense | $42,406,576 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $33,738,414 |
| Department of Transportation | $21,363,833 |
| Department of Justice | $9,739,519 |
| Department of Agriculture | $4,623,632 |
| Department of the Interior | $3,557,866 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $2,603,951 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $1,466,492 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $844,092 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $481,730 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $345,884 |
That is $22,462 per covered job, against 23,461 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $527.0 m / 23,461 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $22,462
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 | 3.00 | 2026-10-06 | -50.0% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| 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 #
Worcester County, MD: 11 findings, 4 at a watch level and 7 noted
watchWorcester County, MD's years of wages of 8.7 ranks 153rd of 3,063 US counties, a watch level here: years of wages in the top tenth of US counties (position among the counties that published both a ZHVI value and a QCEW average weekly wage; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- test: yearsOfWages percentile = 95.03592423252776 >= 90
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the counties that published both a ZHVI value and a QCEW average weekly wage; not an official level
watchWorcester County, MD's typical home value is -1.1% against a year earlier, a watch level here: typical home value below a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- test: home.yoyPct = -1.1311596358781313 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
watchWorcester County, MD's covered employment of 23,461 scores 74 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 35 across Maryland counties, a gap of 39 points.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 39 = |74 across US counties - 35 across Maryland counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchWorcester County, MD's typical home value of $422,936 scores 88 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 52 across Maryland counties, a gap of 36 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 36 = |88 across US counties - 52 across Maryland counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteWorcester County, MD's average weekly wage 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
Read all 11 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.