Vernon County, MO
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 37.85, -94.34.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 28th pct · 2,192nd of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 21st pct · 89th of 113 Missouri counties · median $224,499
- 90th pct · 295th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 84th pct · 18th of 113 Missouri counties · median +4.9%
- US counties: not published this period
- Missouri counties: not published this period
- 45th pct · 1,744th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 57th pct · 50th of 115 Missouri counties · median 4,996
- 29th pct · 2,275th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 64th pct · 41st of 115 Missouri counties · median $902
- 35th pct · 1,974th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 21st pct · 89th of 113 Missouri counties · median 4.8
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 $180,338 (Aug 2026), +7.8% over one year, +54.7% over five
- 28th pct · 2,192nd of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 21st pct · 89th of 113 Missouri counties · median $224,499
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Vernon County, MO | $180,338 · +7.8% 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
- Missouri 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 $987 a month on $180,338 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,117 a month: 24.0% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $180,338 × 80% = $144,271, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $987/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $950 × 52 / 12 = $4,117) = 24% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $180,338 / ($950 × 52) = 3.7
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 #
6,976 jobs at 752 employers (2026 Q1); -0.9% jobs and +4.7% average weekly wage over the year
- 45th pct · 1,744th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 57th pct · 50th of 115 Missouri counties · median 4,996
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Vernon County, MO | 6,976 jobs · $950/wk · -0.9% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,045 | $1,550 | 1.86 | +12.4% |
| Retail trade | 804 | $649 | 1.18 | -0.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 225 | $1,218 | 0.84 | +0.0% |
| Construction | 220 | $1,124 | 0.60 | -5.2% |
| Other services | 153 | $586 | 0.73 | +7.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 141 | $1,293 | 0.50 | +9.3% |
| Professional and technical services | 99 | $987 | 0.21 | -12.4% |
| Administrative and waste services | 62 | $699 | 0.16 | +0.0% |
| Information | 45 | $707 | 0.35 | +9.8% |
| Real estate and rental | 26 | $713 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| Unclassified | 0 | $0 | 0.00 | +0.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 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 #
D2 severe 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 #
5 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 5, 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.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| HILLSDALE LK NR HILLSDALE, KS | 77,560 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 102 km |
| Concordia Lake near Concordia, MO | 2,372 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 138 km |
| POMONA LK NR QUENEMO, KS | 65,450 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 139 km |
| MELVERN LK NR MELVERN, KS | 178,000 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 140 km |
| CLINTON LK NR LAWRENCE, KS | 128,800 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 148 km |
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 #
32 gauges · 0 flooding · 1 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 9 stale
Sites found: 32, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Marmaton River near Nevada, MO | flow 40.1 ft³/s · no flooding | 5 km |
| Marmaton River below Nevada, MO | flow 28.0 ft³/s · STALE | 8 km |
| Little Osage River at Horton, MO | flow 4.39 ft³/s · no flooding | 16 km |
| Dry Wood Creek near Deerfield, MO | flow 7,860 ft³/s · STALE | 16 km |
| Marmaton River near Richards, MO | flow 32.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 21 km |
| Osage River above Schell City, MO | flow 769.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 29 km |
| MARMATON R NR FORT SCOTT, KS | flow 15.2 ft³/s · no flooding | 32 km |
| Osage River at Taberville, MO | flow 178.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) · no flooding | 35 km |
| L OSAGE R AT FULTON, KS | flow 0.72 ft³/s · no flooding | 36 km |
| MARMATON R NR MARMATON, KS | flow 194.0 ft³/s · STALE | 40 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 #
11 wells in 2 named aquifers: Ozark Plateaus aquifer system, Other aquifers
Sites found: 11, 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-375930094222001 | depth 5.65 ft · 2016-04-26 | 16 km |
| Ozark Plateaus aquifer system | depth 105.9 ft · 2026-10-05 | 27 km |
| Ozark Plateaus aquifer system | depth 349.1 ft · 2026-10-05 | 39 km |
| Ozark Plateaus aquifer system | depth 98.8 ft · 2026-10-05 | 54 km |
| Ozark Plateaus aquifer system | depth 455.2 ft · 2026-10-05 | 55 km |
| Ozark Plateaus aquifer system | depth 137.6 ft · 2026-10-05 | 56 km |
| Ozark Plateaus aquifer system | depth 273.0 ft · 2026-10-05 | 59 km |
| Ozark Plateaus aquifer system | depth 243.8 ft · 2026-10-05 | 59 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 (0.32)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$451.7 m in deposits at 7 offices of 6 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,828, highly concentrated. $136.5 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $122.7 m, grants $13.1 m), $19,566 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| The First National Bank of Nevada, Missouri | $104.6 m · 23.2% share · 1 office | |
| Metz Banking Company | $104.0 m · 23.0% share · 2 offices | |
| Community National Bank & Trust | $84.6 m · 18.7% share · 1 office | |
| Vernon, MO | $136.5 m FY2026 · $19,566/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $109.7 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| The First National Bank of Nevada, Missouri | $104,589,000 | 23.2% | 1 |
| Metz Banking Company | $103,996,000 | 23.0% | 2 |
| Community National Bank & Trust | $84,560,000 | 18.7% | 1 |
| Great Southern Bank | $54,170,000 | 12.0% | 1 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $53,316,000 | 11.8% | 1 |
| Arvest Bank | $51,025,000 | 11.3% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,828 across 6 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 6 banks with deposits in the county = 23.2² + 23.0² + 18.7² + … (3 more) = 1,828
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 | $96,758,774 |
| Department of Transportation | $12,092,286 |
| Department of Agriculture | $11,346,638 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $11,146,396 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,425,038 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $1,418,759 |
| Department of Education | $1,197,120 |
| Department of Defense | $930,889 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $114,760 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $45,895 |
| Small Business Administration | $17,156 |
That is $19,566 per covered job, against 6,976 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $136.5 m / 6,976 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $19,566
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 #
Vernon County, MO: 7 findings, 2 at a watch level and 5 noted
watchVernon County, MO's covered employment is -0.9% 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 = -0.9 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchVernon County, MO's average weekly wage of $950 scores 29 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 65 across Missouri counties, a gap of 36 points.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 36 = |29 across US counties - 65 across Missouri counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteVernon County, MO's average weekly wage was 4.7% 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
- +4.7 % = 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
noteVernon County, MO's covered employment was 0.9% 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
- -0.9 % = 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
noteVernon County, MO's typical home value rose 0.8% from $178,834 in July 2026 to $180,338 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.8% = (180338.16638068226 - 178834.22492733086) / 178834.22492733086 × 100
- 180338.16638068226 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 178834.22492733086 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
Read all 7 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.