Dawson County, NE
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 40.87, -99.82.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 38th pct · 1,895th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 45th pct · 49th of 89 Nebraska counties · median $218,486
- 17th pct · 2,532nd of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 9th pct · 81st of 89 Nebraska counties · median +4.0%
- 28th pct · 997th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 38th pct · 9th of 14 Nebraska counties · median $1,300
- 49th pct · 1,624th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 84th pct · 15th of 93 Nebraska counties · median 2,151
- 44th pct · 1,791st of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 61st pct · 36th of 93 Nebraska counties · median $970
- 40th pct · 1,809th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 37th pct · 56th 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 $203,960 (Aug 2026), -0.5% over one year, +23.7% over five
- 38th pct · 1,895th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 45th pct · 49th of 89 Nebraska counties · median $218,486
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Dawson County, NE | $203,960 · -0.5% 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 $1,278/mo (Aug 2026), n/a over one year; price-to-rent 13.3
- 28th pct · 997th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 38th pct · 9th of 14 Nebraska counties · median $1,300
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Dawson County, NE | $1,278/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 $1,116 a month on $203,960 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,398 a month: 25.4% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $203,960 × 80% = $163,168, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,116/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,015 × 52 / 12 = $4,398) = 25% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $203,960 / ($1,015 × 52) = 3.9
- price-to-rent = $203,960 / ($1,278 × 12) = 13.3
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 #
8,121 jobs at 744 employers (2026 Q1); -31.6% jobs and +3.2% average weekly wage over the year
- 49th pct · 1,624th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 84th pct · 15th of 93 Nebraska counties · median 2,151
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Dawson County, NE | 8,121 jobs · $1,015/wk · -31.6% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,079 | $679 | 1.36 | -3.8% |
| Manufacturing | 677 | $1,037 | 1.04 | -83.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 651 | $361 | 0.89 | -10.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 398 | $1,293 | 1.28 | +0.8% |
| Construction | 387 | $1,093 | 0.91 | -14.4% |
| Other services | 259 | $638 | 1.07 | +19.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 242 | $1,568 | 0.73 | -6.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 207 | $952 | 0.60 | -17.2% |
| Professional and technical services | 186 | $1,122 | 0.33 | -3.1% |
| Administrative and waste services | 149 | $883 | 0.32 | -47.9% |
| Management of companies | 99 | $5,461 | 0.73 | -4.8% |
| Real estate and rental | 94 | $1,250 | 0.75 | +2.2% |
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 #
1 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 1, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Harlan County Lake Near Republican City, Nebr. | 170,000 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 102 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 #
37 gauges · 0 flooding · 4 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 10 stale
Sites found: 37, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Platte River near Darr | no flooding | 10 km |
| Platte River near Cozad (North Channel) | no flooding | 15 km |
| Platte River near Cozad (South Channel) | no flooding | 15 km |
| Spring Creek near Overton, Nebr. | flow 0.00 ft³/s · no flooding | 28 km |
| Platte R, J2 Outflow and S Ch, near Overton, Nebr. | flow 880.0 ft³/s | 30 km |
| Buffalo Creek near Overton, Nebr. | flow 21.6 ft³/s · no flooding | 30 km |
| Platte River near Overton, Nebr. | flow 188.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 31 km |
| Platte River near Overton | observation not current | 31 km |
| Platte R,So-Ch,Cottonwood Ranch nr Overton, Nebr. | flow 443.0 ft³/s | 35 km |
| South Loup River at Pressey WMA near Oconto, Nebr. | flow 103.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 37 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 #
20 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 20, 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-405118099514901 | depth 7.95 ft · 2026-10-05 | 4 km |
| USGS-404949099445701 | depth 13.5 ft · 2026-10-05 | 7 km |
| USGS-404717099460501 | depth 8.15 ft · 2026-10-05 | 10 km |
| USGS-405738099504501 | depth 38.4 ft · 2026-10-05 | 11 km |
| USGS-405014099591001 | depth 9.82 ft · 2026-10-05 | 15 km |
| USGS-410154099394701 | depth 46.5 ft · 2026-10-05 | 22 km |
| USGS-405445100074001 | depth 5.10 ft · 2026-10-05 | 27 km |
| USGS-405855100073901 | depth 66.7 ft · 2026-10-05 | 29 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 #
$1.5 bn in deposits at 16 offices of 11 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,180, highly concentrated. $126.1 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $117.9 m, grants $5.4 m), $15,533 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Dayspring Bank | $590.4 m · 39.0% share · 2 offices | |
| Flatwater Bank | $288.0 m · 19.0% share · 1 office | |
| Pinnacle Bank | $172.0 m · 11.4% share · 2 offices | |
| Dawson, NE | $126.1 m FY2026 · $15,533/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $107.8 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dayspring Bank | $590,396,000 | 39.0% | 2 |
| Flatwater Bank | $288,002,000 | 19.0% | 1 |
| Pinnacle Bank | $172,040,000 | 11.4% | 2 |
| Homestead Bank | $114,131,000 | 7.5% | 2 |
| Waypoint Bank | $102,067,000 | 6.7% | 1 |
| First Interstate Bank | $94,471,000 | 6.2% | 2 |
| First State Bank | $55,363,000 | 3.7% | 1 |
| Security First Bank | $53,195,000 | 3.5% | 2 |
| Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Grand Island | $24,664,000 | 1.6% | 1 |
| Five Points Bank | $14,186,000 | 0.9% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,180 across 11 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 11 banks with deposits in the county = 39.0² + 19.0² + 11.4² + … (8 more) = 2,180
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 | $96,073,683 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $9,332,148 |
| Department of Agriculture | $8,436,053 |
| Department of Transportation | $5,094,459 |
| Department of Defense | $2,780,206 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $2,271,577 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $1,796,112 |
| Department of the Interior | $118,856 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $98,579 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $82,532 |
| Department of Education | $60,565 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
That is $15,533 per covered job, against 8,121 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $126.1 m / 8,121 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $15,533
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 | 12.28 | 2026-10-04 | -0.1% |
| 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 #
Dawson County, NE: 17 findings, 1 at an alert level, 4 at a watch level and 12 noted
alertDawson County, NE's covered employment is -31.6% against a year earlier, an alert level here: covered employment at least 3 percent below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; 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.emp = -31.6 <= -3
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchDawson County, NE's covered employment is -31.6% 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 = -31.6 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchDawson County, NE's typical asking rent is -2.1% against the previous month, a watch level here: typical asking rent at least 1 percent below the previous month (arithmetic on the Zillow ZORI month columns; 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 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- test: rent.momPct = -2.1025873167010394 <= -1
- month-over-month percent change = (newest month − previous month) / |previous month| × 100, from Zillow's own published month columns
arithmetic on the Zillow ZORI month columns; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchDawson County, NE's typical home value is -0.5% against a year earlier, a watch level here: typical home value below a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- test: home.yoyPct = -0.5279389531824779 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
watchDawson County, NE's covered employment of 8,121 scores 50 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 85 across Nebraska counties, a gap of 35 points.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 35 = |50 across US counties - 85 across Nebraska counties|
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.