Montcalm County, MI
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 43.31, -85.15.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 51st pct · 1,500th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 57th pct · 36th of 83 Michigan counties · median $226,891
- 0th pct · 5th of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median $302,880
- 85th pct · 434th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 63rd pct · 31st of 83 Michigan counties · median +5.7%
- 100th pct · 1st of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median +5.0%
- 43rd pct · 787th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 66th pct · 14th of 40 Michigan counties · median $1,338
- 25th pct · 4th of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median $1,621
- 66th pct · 1,082nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 62nd pct · 32nd of 83 Michigan counties · median 12,414
- 25th pct · 4th of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median 19,841
- 36th pct · 2,041st of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 28th pct · 59th of 83 Michigan counties · median $1,045
- 25th pct · 4th of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median $1,022
- 58th pct · 1,279th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 67th pct · 28th of 83 Michigan counties · median 4.1
- 0th pct · 5th of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median 5.5
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 $237,614 (Aug 2026), +6.9% over one year, +18.8% over five
- 51st pct · 1,500th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 57th pct · 36th of 83 Michigan counties · median $226,891
- 0th pct · 5th of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median $302,880
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Montcalm County, MI | $237,614 · +6.9% 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 $1,426/mo (Aug 2026), n/a over one year; price-to-rent 13.9
- 43rd pct · 787th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 66th pct · 14th of 40 Michigan counties · median $1,338
- 25th pct · 4th of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median $1,621
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Montcalm County, MI | $1,426/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 $1,301 a month on $237,614 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,238 a month: 30.7% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $237,614 × 80% = $190,091, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,301/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $978 × 52 / 12 = $4,238) = 31% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $237,614 / ($978 × 52) = 4.7
- price-to-rent = $237,614 / ($1,426 × 12) = 13.9
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 #
16,053 jobs at 1,116 employers (2026 Q1); -0.8% jobs and +5.5% average weekly wage over the year
- 66th pct · 1,082nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 62nd pct · 32nd of 83 Michigan counties · median 12,414
- 25th pct · 4th of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median 19,841
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Montcalm County, MI | 16,053 jobs · $978/wk · -0.8% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,076 | $1,352 | 2.38 | +0.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,281 | $969 | 0.94 | +1.3% |
| Retail trade | 2,246 | $620 | 1.44 | -7.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,649 | $357 | 1.14 | -0.3% |
| Construction | 814 | $1,086 | 0.97 | +22.2% |
| Other services | 428 | $755 | 0.89 | +1.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 419 | $837 | 3.61 | +10.0% |
| Administrative and waste services | 399 | $735 | 0.44 | -14.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 301 | $1,243 | 0.46 | -1.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 290 | $1,425 | 0.47 | +2.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 250 | $1,115 | 0.37 | -30.0% |
| Information | 203 | $1,110 | 0.69 | +8.0% |
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 #
Surface water layer not loaded
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 #
Surface water layer not loaded
Sites found: 0, 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.
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 #
No USGS monitoring wells within 75 km (or above 1,500 km)
Sites found: 0, 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.
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 / 0.35
Banks & federal dollars #
$956.8 m in deposits at 16 offices of 7 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,704, moderately concentrated. $432.9 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $422.9 m, grants $9.9 m), $26,965 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| The Huntington National Bank | $235.4 m · 24.6% share · 3 offices | |
| Isabella Bank | $202.6 m · 21.2% share · 3 offices | |
| Mercantile Bank | $127.5 m · 13.3% share · 3 offices | |
| Montcalm, MI | $432.9 m FY2026 · $26,965/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $408.1 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Huntington National Bank | $235,425,000 | 24.6% | 3 |
| Isabella Bank | $202,643,000 | 21.2% | 3 |
| Mercantile Bank | $127,526,000 | 13.3% | 3 |
| Independent Bank | $127,292,000 | 13.3% | 2 |
| Sidney State Bank | $123,084,000 | 12.9% | 3 |
| Fifth Third Bank, National Association | $101,519,000 | 10.6% | 1 |
| Commercial Bank | $39,281,000 | 4.1% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,704 across 7 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 7 banks with deposits in the county = 24.6² + 21.2² + 13.3² + … (4 more) = 1,704
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 | $361,126,653 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $45,210,523 |
| Department of Transportation | $9,736,988 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $7,531,435 |
| Department of Agriculture | $3,016,155 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $2,570,860 |
| Department of Education | $1,883,491 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,779,647 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $20,000 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
That is $26,965 per covered job, against 16,053 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $432.9 m / 16,053 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $26,965
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 #
Montcalm County, MI: 12 findings, 2 at a watch level and 10 noted
watchMontcalm County, MI's covered employment is -0.8% against a year earlier, a watch level here: covered employment below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; 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.emp = -0.8 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchMontcalm County, MI's momentum index of 0.42 scores 74 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 41 across Michigan counties, a gap of 33 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 33 = |74 across US counties - 41 across Michigan counties|
- momentum = Σ wᵢ · clip(changeᵢ / scaleᵢ, −1, 1) / Σ wᵢ over the terms present; weights and scales: home value 1-yr change 0.3 (±10%), rent 1-yr change 0.15 (±10%), jobs over-the-year change 0.3 (±3%), avg weekly wage over-the-year change 0.25 (±6%)
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteMontcalm County, MI's average weekly wage was 5.5% 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
- +5.5 % = 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
noteMontcalm County, MI's typical asking rent rose 2.0% from $1,399 in July 2026 to $1,426 in August 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +2.0% = (1426.25 - 1398.589252274242) / 1398.589252274242 × 100
- 1426.25 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
- 1398.589252274242 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-07
noteMontcalm County, MI's covered employment was 0.8% 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
- -0.8 % = 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
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.