Houghton County, MI
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 47.00, -88.65.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 37th pct · 1,929th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 36th pct · 53rd of 83 Michigan counties · median $226,891
- 88th pct · 339th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 70th pct · 25th of 83 Michigan counties · median +5.7%
- 30th pct · 978th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 43rd pct · 23rd of 40 Michigan counties · median $1,338
- 60th pct · 1,279th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 52nd pct · 40th of 83 Michigan counties · median 12,414
- 54th pct · 1,455th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 51st pct · 41st of 83 Michigan counties · median $1,045
- 34th pct · 1,992nd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 28th pct · 60th of 83 Michigan counties · median 4.1
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 $200,252 (Aug 2026), +7.5% over one year, +20.6% over five
- 37th pct · 1,929th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 36th pct · 53rd of 83 Michigan counties · median $226,891
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Houghton County, MI | $200,252 · +7.5% 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 $1,293/mo (Aug 2026), n/a over one year; price-to-rent 12.9
- 30th pct · 978th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 43rd pct · 23rd of 40 Michigan counties · median $1,338
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Houghton County, MI | $1,293/mo · n/a 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 $1,096 a month on $200,252 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,598 a month: 23.8% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $200,252 × 80% = $160,201, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,096/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,061 × 52 / 12 = $4,598) = 24% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $200,252 / ($1,061 × 52) = 3.6
- price-to-rent = $200,252 / ($1,293 × 12) = 12.9
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 #
12,551 jobs at 981 employers (2026 Q1); +2.0% jobs and -0.4% average weekly wage over the year
- 60th pct · 1,279th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 52nd pct · 40th of 83 Michigan counties · median 12,414
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Houghton County, MI | 12,551 jobs · $1,061/wk · +2.0% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,824 | $1,202 | 0.97 | +1.4% |
| Retail trade | 1,630 | $605 | 1.33 | +1.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,520 | $337 | 1.35 | +10.7% |
| Manufacturing | 985 | $1,329 | 0.98 | +5.6% |
| Construction | 836 | $1,100 | 1.27 | +6.5% |
| Professional and technical services | 592 | $1,443 | 0.68 | -13.2% |
| Other services | 372 | $742 | 0.99 | -3.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 357 | $1,623 | 0.70 | -6.3% |
| Administrative and waste services | 185 | $579 | 0.26 | +19.4% |
| Information | 159 | $1,380 | 0.69 | +11.2% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 158 | $561 | 0.76 | +14.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 139 | $1,010 | 0.29 | +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 #
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 · 11 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 11 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sturgeon River near Chassell | observation not current | 11 km |
| PILGRIM RIVER AT PARADISE RD NR DODGEVILLE, MI | flow 28.1 ft³/s · quality 100 % (4) | 12 km |
| COLE CREEK AT HOUGHTON CANAL ROAD NR HOUGHTON, MI | flow 15.1 ft³/s · STALE | 15 km |
| STURGEON RIVER NEAR ALSTON, MI | flow 113.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) · no flooding | 30 km |
| TRAP ROCK RIVER NEAR LAKE LINDEN, MI | stage 3.35 ft · no flooding | 33 km |
| FALLS RIVER NEAR L'ANSE, MI | flow 18.9 ft³/s · quality 100 % (2) | 33 km |
| SILVER RIVER NEAR L'ANSE, MI | flow 16.6 ft³/s · no flooding | 33 km |
| SLATE RIVER AT SKANEE ROAD NEAR SKANEE, MI | stage 3.33 ft · quality 100 % (2) | 35 km |
| GOMANCHE CREEK AT INDIAN ROAD NEAR L'ANSE, MI | flow 1.67 ft³/s · quality 100 % (2) | 35 km |
| RAVINE RIVER AT SICOTTE RD NEAR SKANEE, MI | stage 3.23 ft · quality 100 % (2) | 38 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 #
2 wells in 1 named aquifer: Other aquifers
Sites found: 2, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 49N 33W 18BAD 01 BARAGA CO (ALBERTA) | depth 9.26 ft · 1973-11-26 | 42 km |
| Other aquifers | depth 13.2 ft · 1964-09-16 | 70 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 #
$959.5 m in deposits at 17 offices of 7 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 3,311, highly concentrated. $315.9 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $227.2 m, grants $63.0 m), $25,168 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Superior National Bank | $505.2 m · 52.7% share · 6 offices | |
| IncredibleBank | $155.8 m · 16.2% share · 2 offices | |
| Range Bank | $122.7 m · 12.8% share · 3 offices | |
| Houghton, MI | $315.9 m FY2026 · $25,168/job |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superior National Bank | $505,239,000 | 52.7% | 6 |
| IncredibleBank | $155,777,000 | 16.2% | 2 |
| Range Bank | $122,652,000 | 12.8% | 3 |
| Flagstar Bank, National Association | $74,872,000 | 7.8% | 1 |
| The Huntington National Bank | $59,285,000 | 6.2% | 1 |
| The Miners State Bank | $33,461,000 | 3.5% | 3 |
| Upper Peninsula State Bank | $8,240,000 | 0.9% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 3,311 across 7 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 7 banks with deposits in the county = 52.7² + 16.2² + 12.8² + … (4 more) = 3,311
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 #
That is $25,168 per covered job, against 12,551 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $315.9 m / 12,551 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $25,168
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 #
Houghton County, MI: 8 findings, 1 at a watch level and 7 noted
watchHoughton County, MI's average weekly wage is -0.4% 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 = -0.4 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
noteHoughton County, MI's covered employment was 2.0% 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 % = 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
noteHoughton County, MI's typical asking rent rose 1.7% from $1,272 in July 2026 to $1,293 in August 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +1.7% = (1292.7777777777776 - 1271.6911614923588) / 1271.6911614923588 × 100
- 1292.7777777777776 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
- 1271.6911614923588 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-07
noteHoughton County, MI's average weekly wage was 0.4% 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
- -0.4 % = 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
noteHoughton County, MI's price-to-rent ratio of 12.9 ranks 38th of 40 Michigan counties, against a median of 16.9.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 5 on the 0-to-100 scale across 40 Michigan 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 8 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.