Traverse County, MN
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 45.77, -96.47.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 16th pct · 2,570th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 1st pct · 86th of 87 Minnesota counties · median $276,116
- 93rd pct · 212th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 94th pct · 6th of 87 Minnesota counties · median +4.1%
- US counties: not published this period
- Minnesota counties: not published this period
- 6th pct · 3,017th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 1st pct · 86th of 87 Minnesota counties · median 7,739
- 27th pct · 2,323rd of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 9th pct · 79th of 87 Minnesota counties · median $1,102
- 21st pct · 2,401st of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 5th pct · 82nd of 87 Minnesota counties · median 4.6
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 $150,628 (Aug 2026), +8.8% over one year, +18.6% over five
- 16th pct · 2,570th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 1st pct · 86th of 87 Minnesota counties · median $276,116
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Traverse County, MN | $150,628 · +8.8% 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
- Minnesota 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 $824 a month on $150,628 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,086 a month: 20.2% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $150,628 × 80% = $120,502, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $824/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $943 × 52 / 12 = $4,086) = 20% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $150,628 / ($943 × 52) = 3.1
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 #
962 jobs at 143 employers (2026 Q1); -2.8% jobs and +3.5% average weekly wage over the year
- 6th pct · 3,017th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 1st pct · 86th of 87 Minnesota counties · median 7,739
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Traverse County, MN | 962 jobs · $943/wk · -2.8% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 203 | $955 | 1.40 | +3.6% |
| Retail trade | 141 | $520 | 1.50 | -11.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 100 | $1,655 | 2.71 | -4.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 77 | $921 | 11.08 | +10.0% |
| Utilities | withheld | |||
| Construction | withheld | |||
| Manufacturing | withheld | |||
| Transportation and warehousing | withheld | |||
| Information | withheld | |||
| Finance and insurance | withheld | |||
| Real estate and rental | withheld | |||
| Professional and technical services | 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 #
D1 moderate drought
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 #
21 gauges · 0 flooding · 0 with quality panels · 5 stale
Sites found: 21, 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-05049000 | flow 20.3 ft³/s | 6 km |
| USGS-05049995 | stage 70.1 ft | 13 km |
| USGS-05049700 | stage 76.8 ft | 13 km |
| USGS-05049710 | stage 70.2 ft | 13 km |
| USGS-05050000 | flow 1.63 ft³/s | 13 km |
| USGS-05290000 | flow 6.48 ft³/s | 36 km |
| USGS-05051300 | flow 0.21 ft³/s | 43 km |
| USGS-05289985 | flow 11.0 ft³/s · STALE | 49 km |
| USGS-05292000 | flow 10.3 ft³/s | 53 km |
| USGS-05291000 | flow 8.87 ft³/s | 54 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 #
8 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 8, 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-454449096450101 | depth 55.1 ft · 2026-10-05 | 22 km |
| USGS-453819096572501 | depth 56.6 ft · 2026-10-05 | 40 km |
| USGS-451848096363501 | depth 25.7 ft · 2026-10-05 | 52 km |
| USGS-455049097095501 | depth 31.4 ft · 2026-10-05 | 54 km |
| USGS-453515097083801 | depth 4.52 ft · 2026-10-05 | 56 km |
| USGS-452304097083901 | depth 12.6 ft · 2026-10-05 | 67 km |
| USGS-452115097110601 | depth 13.4 ft · 2026-10-05 | 72 km |
| USGS-462425096441202 | depth 16.1 ft · 2021-07-07 | 74 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 #
moderate (0.25)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 / 0.35
Banks & federal dollars #
$142.9 m in deposits at 3 offices of 3 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 4,085, highly concentrated. $48.0 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $43.9 m, grants $4.2 m), $49,903 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| FM Bank | $78.6 m · 55.0% share · 1 office | |
| Star Bank | $39.1 m · 27.4% share · 1 office | |
| Prairie Sun Bank | $25.2 m · 17.6% share · 1 office | |
| Traverse, MN | $48.0 m FY2026 · $49,903/job | |
| REDACTED DUE TO PII | $22.0 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| FM Bank | $78,609,000 | 55.0% | 1 |
| Star Bank | $39,109,000 | 27.4% | 1 |
| Prairie Sun Bank | $25,209,000 | 17.6% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 4,085 across 3 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 3 banks with deposits in the county = 55.0² + 27.4² + 17.6² = 4,085
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 |
|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture | $22,106,187 |
| Social Security Administration | $19,311,813 |
| Department of Transportation | $4,113,000 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $2,304,794 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $75,712 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $65,093 |
| Department of Education | $40,234 |
| Federal Communications Commission | -$10,206 |
That is $49,903 per covered job, against 962 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $48.0 m / 962 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $49,903
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 #
Traverse County, MN: 12 findings, 1 at a watch level and 11 noted
watchTraverse County, MN's covered employment is -2.8% 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 = -2.8 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
noteTraverse County, MN's average weekly wage was 3.5% 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
- +3.5 % = 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
noteTraverse County, MN's covered employment was 2.8% 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
- -2.8 % = 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
noteTraverse County, MN's typical home value fell 0.6% from $151,545 in July 2026 to $150,628 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- -0.6% = (150627.73894924877 - 151544.74401700764) / 151544.74401700764 × 100
- 150627.73894924877 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 151544.74401700764 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteTraverse County, MN's typical home value of $150,628 ranks 86th of 87 Minnesota counties, against a median of $276,116.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 1 on the 0-to-100 scale across 87 Minnesota counties that published home.latest
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.