Custer County, NE
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 41.39, -99.73.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 29th pct · 2,170th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 29th pct · 63rd of 89 Nebraska counties · median $218,486
- 95th pct · 151st of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 95th pct · 5th of 89 Nebraska counties · median +4.0%
- US counties: not published this period
- Nebraska counties: not published this period
- 33rd pct · 2,130th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 73rd pct · 25th of 93 Nebraska counties · median 2,151
- 27th pct · 2,333rd of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 43rd pct · 53rd of 93 Nebraska counties · median $970
- 37th pct · 1,922nd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 32nd pct · 60th of 89 Nebraska 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 $181,990 (Aug 2026), +9.5% over one year, +15.9% over five
- 29th pct · 2,170th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 29th pct · 63rd of 89 Nebraska counties · median $218,486
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Custer County, NE | $181,990 · +9.5% 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 #
Zillow publishes no rent index for this area (ZORI covers about 1,400 counties)
- US counties: not published this period
- Nebraska 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 $996 a month on $181,990 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,078 a month: 24.4% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $181,990 × 80% = $145,592, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $996/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $941 × 52 / 12 = $4,078) = 24% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $181,990 / ($941 × 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 #
4,422 jobs at 477 employers (2026 Q1); -2.7% jobs and -3.6% average weekly wage over the year
- 33rd pct · 2,130th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 73rd pct · 25th of 93 Nebraska counties · median 2,151
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Custer County, NE | 4,422 jobs · $941/wk · -2.7% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 612 | $1,110 | 19.16 | +7.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 522 | $910 | 0.78 | -2.4% |
| Retail trade | 493 | $639 | 1.14 | -8.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 308 | $374 | 0.78 | -15.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 192 | $1,072 | 1.13 | -8.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 168 | $1,563 | 0.93 | -3.4% |
| Professional and technical services | 107 | $1,040 | 0.35 | +0.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 47 | $1,304 | 0.25 | -14.5% |
| Real estate and rental | 16 | $1,724 | 0.24 | +6.7% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 15 | $218 | 0.21 | +36.4% |
| Utilities | 13 | $2,664 | 0.74 | +8.3% |
| Construction | 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 #
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 · 8 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 12 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 |
|---|---|---|
| South Loup River at Pressey WMA near Oconto, Nebr. | flow 101.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 22 km |
| Middle Loup River near Gates, Nebr. | flow 957.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 31 km |
| USGS-412147100055301 | stage 3.56 ft · quality 100 % (2) · STALE | 31 km |
| USGS-412522100121201 | temp 12.5 °C · quality 100 % (1) · no flooding · STALE | 40 km |
| South Loup River at Arnold, Nebr. | flow 20.8 ft³/s | 40 km |
| USGS-412542100125301 | stage 2.68 ft · quality 100 % (2) · STALE | 41 km |
| MIDDLE LOUP R. AT ARCADIA, NEBR. | flow 1,040 ft³/s · STALE | 50 km |
| North Loup River at Taylor, Nebr. | flow 599.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 51 km |
| USGS-414637099224701 | temp 13.5 °C · quality 100 % (1) · no flooding · STALE | 51 km |
| USGS-413054100220201 | stage 2.99 ft · quality 100 % (2) · STALE | 55 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 #
16 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 16, 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-413038099482701 | depth 77.1 ft · 1994-08-02 | 15 km |
| USGS-411126099422501 | depth 2.50 ft · 2026-10-05 | 23 km |
| USGS-412522100121201 | depth 3.22 ft · 2026-10-05 | 40 km |
| USGS-410154099394701 | depth 46.5 ft · 2026-10-05 | 41 km |
| USGS-405738099504501 | depth 38.4 ft · 2026-10-05 | 49 km |
| USGS-414637099224701 | depth 7.64 ft · 2017-10-23 | 51 km |
| USGS-415108099493401 | depth 105.3 ft · 2002-03-12 | 52 km |
| USGS-410248099164701 | depth 108.1 ft · 2026-10-05 | 54 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 #
$552.5 m in deposits at 12 offices of 8 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,506, highly concentrated. $111.1 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $81.1 m, grants $30.0 m), $25,126 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska State Bank and Trust Company | $233.7 m · 42.3% share · 4 offices | |
| Bruning Bank | $104.3 m · 18.9% share · 1 office | |
| Custer Federal State Bank | $74.4 m · 13.5% share · 1 office | |
| Custer, NE | $111.1 m FY2026 · $25,126/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $60.8 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska State Bank and Trust Company | $233,680,000 | 42.3% | 4 |
| Bruning Bank | $104,307,000 | 18.9% | 1 |
| Custer Federal State Bank | $74,398,000 | 13.5% | 1 |
| Security First Bank | $52,804,000 | 9.6% | 2 |
| Pinnacle Bank | $42,036,000 | 7.6% | 1 |
| First National Bank in Ord | $25,304,000 | 4.6% | 1 |
| Flatwater Bank | $16,755,000 | 3.0% | 1 |
| Heritage Bank | $3,221,000 | 0.6% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,506 across 8 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 8 banks with deposits in the county = 42.3² + 18.9² + 13.5² + … (5 more) = 2,506
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 | $51,767,315 |
| Department of Transportation | $27,508,623 |
| Department of Agriculture | $22,012,411 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $6,632,527 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $2,407,968 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $656,027 |
| Department of Education | $76,310 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $44,309 |
That is $25,126 per covered job, against 4,422 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $111.1 m / 4,422 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $25,126
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 #
Custer County, NE: 9 findings, 3 at a watch level and 6 noted
watchCuster County, NE's average weekly wage is -3.6% 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 = -3.6 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchCuster County, NE's covered employment is -2.7% 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 = -2.7 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchCuster County, NE's covered employment of 4,422 scores 34 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 74 across Nebraska counties, a gap of 40 points.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 40 = |34 across US counties - 74 across Nebraska counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteCuster County, NE's average weekly wage was 3.6% 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
- -3.6 % = 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
noteCuster County, NE's covered employment was 2.7% 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
- -2.7 % = 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
Read all 9 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.