Garden County, NE
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 41.63, -102.30.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 31st pct · 2,095th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 34th pct · 59th of 89 Nebraska counties · median $218,486
- 29th pct · 2,155th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 20th pct · 71st of 89 Nebraska counties · median +4.0%
- US counties: not published this period
- Nebraska counties: not published this period
- 2nd pct · 3,153rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 16th pct · 78th of 93 Nebraska counties · median 2,151
- 55th pct · 1,421st of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 71st pct · 27th of 93 Nebraska counties · median $970
- 29th pct · 2,163rd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 19th pct · 72nd 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 $187,875 (Aug 2026), +1.1% over one year, +17.1% over five
- 31st pct · 2,095th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 34th pct · 59th of 89 Nebraska counties · median $218,486
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Garden County, NE | $187,875 · +1.1% 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 $1,028 a month on $187,875 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,619 a month: 22.3% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $187,875 × 80% = $150,300, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,028/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,066 × 52 / 12 = $4,619) = 22% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $187,875 / ($1,066 × 52) = 3.4
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 #
503 jobs at 72 employers (2026 Q1); +4.6% jobs and +11.5% average weekly wage over the year
- 2nd pct · 3,153rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 16th pct · 78th of 93 Nebraska counties · median 2,151
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Garden County, NE | 503 jobs · $1,066/wk · +4.6% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 111 | $1,733 | 30.55 | +27.6% |
| Retail trade | 65 | $452 | 1.33 | -4.4% |
| Construction | withheld | |||
| Manufacturing | withheld | |||
| Wholesale trade | withheld | |||
| Transportation and warehousing | withheld | |||
| Information | withheld | |||
| Finance and insurance | withheld | |||
| Real estate and rental | withheld | |||
| Professional and technical services | withheld | |||
| Health care and social assistance | withheld | |||
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 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 #
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 #
9 gauges · 0 flooding · 0 with quality panels
Sites found: 9, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| North Platte River at Lisco | no flooding | 31 km |
| Blue Creek near Lewellen | no flooding | 35 km |
| North Platte River at Lewellen | no flooding | 38 km |
| Pumpkin Creek near Bridgeport | no flooding | 61 km |
| North Platte River near Bridgeport | no flooding | 66 km |
| North Platte River at Kingsley Dam | no flooding | 70 km |
| South Platte River near Julesburg | observation not current | 72 km |
| North Platte River near Keystone | no flooding | 73 km |
| South Platte River near Julesburg | no readings | 74 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 #
9 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 9, 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-414607102263301 | depth 0.62 ft · 2015-06-03 | 19 km |
| USGS-414607102263302 | depth 3.83 ft · 2024-10-01 | 19 km |
| USGS-413455102370701 | depth 330.2 ft · 2016-10-04 | 27 km |
| USGS-413216102520201 | depth 78.4 ft · 2016-10-03 | 48 km |
| USGS-415118103020903 | depth 9.85 ft · 2016-10-03 | 66 km |
| USGS-414031101305603 | depth 16.6 ft · 1986-01-28 | 66 km |
| USGS-414031101305602 | depth 19.8 ft · 1986-01-28 | 66 km |
| USGS-414031101305601 | depth 16.9 ft · 1986-01-28 | 66 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 #
high (0.50)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 / 0.35
Banks & federal dollars #
$106.1 m in deposits at 3 offices of 3 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 4,298, highly concentrated. $22.9 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $17.9 m, grants $5.0 m), $45,548 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska State Bank | $61.0 m · 57.5% share · 1 office | |
| Legends West Bank | $29.6 m · 28.0% share · 1 office | |
| Points West Community Bank | $15.4 m · 14.6% share · 1 office | |
| Garden, NE | $22.9 m FY2026 · $45,548/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $14.6 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska State Bank | $60,979,000 | 57.5% | 1 |
| Legends West Bank | $29,649,000 | 28.0% | 1 |
| Points West Community Bank | $15,450,000 | 14.6% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 4,298 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 = 57.5² + 28.0² + 14.6² = 4,298
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 | $12,217,103 |
| Department of Transportation | $4,916,051 |
| Department of Agriculture | $3,302,577 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $1,457,976 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $904,137 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $75,172 |
| Department of the Interior | $19,444 |
| Department of Education | $16,626 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $1,320 |
That is $45,548 per covered job, against 503 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $22.9 m / 503 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $45,548
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 #
Garden County, NE: 7 findings, 7 noted
noteGarden County, NE's average weekly wage was 11.5% 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
- +11.5 % = 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
noteGarden County, NE's covered employment was 4.6% 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
- +4.6 % = 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
noteGarden County, NE's typical home value fell 0.3% from $188,460 in July 2026 to $187,875 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- -0.3% = (187875.0107694224 - 188460.06186178685) / 188460.06186178685 × 100
- 187875.0107694224 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 188460.06186178685 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteGarden County, NE's covered employment of 503 ranks 3,153rd of 3,221 US counties, against a median of 8,232.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 2 on the 0-to-100 scale across 3221 US counties that published jobs.emp
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteGarden County, NE's momentum index of 0.68 ranks 214th of 3,221 US counties, against a median of 0.23.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 93 on the 0-to-100 scale across 3221 US counties that published momentum
- 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
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.