Beaufort County, NC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 35.48, -76.84.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 50th pct · 1,504th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 34th pct · 66th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
- 40th pct · 1,837th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 63rd pct · 37th of 100 North Carolina counties · median +1.1%
- 20th pct · 1,109th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 12th pct · 55th of 63 North Carolina counties · median $1,573
- 66th pct · 1,068th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 49th pct · 51st of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
- 49th pct · 1,630th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 65th pct · 35th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $984
- 52nd pct · 1,452nd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 37th pct · 63rd of 100 North Carolina counties · median 5.0
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 $237,011 (Aug 2026), +2.1% over one year, +32.8% over five
- 50th pct · 1,504th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 34th pct · 66th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County, NC | $237,011 · +2.1% 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 #
Typical rent $1,182/mo (Aug 2026), n/a over one year; price-to-rent 16.7
- 20th pct · 1,109th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 12th pct · 55th of 63 North Carolina counties · median $1,573
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County, NC | $1,182/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 $1,297 a month on $237,011 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,489 a month: 28.9% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $237,011 × 80% = $189,609, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,297/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,036 × 52 / 12 = $4,489) = 29% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $237,011 / ($1,036 × 52) = 4.4
- price-to-rent = $237,011 / ($1,182 × 12) = 16.7
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 #
16,332 jobs at 1,352 employers (2026 Q1); +0.9% jobs and +4.8% average weekly wage over the year
- 66th pct · 1,068th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 49th pct · 51st of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County, NC | 16,332 jobs · $1,036/wk · +0.9% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2,467 | $1,812 | 1.88 | -3.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,176 | $911 | 0.89 | +35.4% |
| Retail trade | 2,061 | $648 | 1.29 | +0.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,459 | $355 | 0.99 | +0.4% |
| Construction | 1,361 | $1,312 | 1.59 | +7.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 1,000 | $1,188 | 1.60 | +13.9% |
| Administrative and waste services | 764 | $737 | 0.82 | +8.2% |
| Other services | 380 | $864 | 0.78 | -3.3% |
| Professional and technical services | 367 | $960 | 0.33 | -2.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 306 | $1,580 | 0.46 | -5.3% |
| Educational services | 185 | $587 | 0.53 | +0.0% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 161 | $426 | 0.60 | -4.2% |
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 #
2 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 2, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| LAKE MATTAMUSKEET W OF NC HWY 94 NR FAIRFIELD, NC | 1.88 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 53 km |
| LAKE MATTAMUSKEET E OF NC HWY 94 NR FAIRFIELD, NC | 1.83 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 60 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 #
76 gauges · 0 flooding · 3 with quality panels averaging 83 % · 26 stale
Sites found: 76, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| ROANOKE RIVER AT NC 45 NR WESTOVER, NC | stage 2.05 ft · quality 50 % (4) | 49 km |
| Bath Creek at Bath (in MLLW) | no flooding | 2 km |
| Pamlico River at Aurora | observation not current | 14 km |
| Chocowinity Bay at Bayside Shores | no readings | 17 km |
| Chocowinity Creek near Chocowinity | observation not current | 20 km |
| Pungo River at Belhaven (in MLLW) | no flooding | 21 km |
| Pungo River at Water Street in Belhaven | no readings | 21 km |
| PAMLICO RIVER AT WASHINGTON, NC | flow 4,390 ft³/s · no flooding | 21 km |
| TRANTERS CREEK AT SR1403 NEAR WASHINGTON, NC | stage -0.26 ft · no flooding · STALE | 24 km |
| VAN SWAMP NEAR HOKE, NC | flow 0.11 ft³/s | 29 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 1 named aquifer: Surficial aquifer system
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-354418076463601 | depth 4.11 ft · 2026-10-05 | 29 km |
| USGS-353827076293001 | depth 0.97 ft · 2026-10-05 | 36 km |
| USGS-354126076314201 | depth 2.23 ft · 2026-10-05 | 37 km |
| USGS-353219077153801 | depth 7.95 ft · 2026-10-05 | 38 km |
| USGS-354216076271201 | depth 2.24 ft · 2026-10-05 | 43 km |
| USGS-354227076232901 | depth 3.24 ft · 2026-10-05 | 48 km |
| Surficial aquifer system | depth 10.5 ft · 2009-12-09 | 60 km |
| USGS-353027077340102 | depth 2.49 ft · 2006-09-29 | 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 #
low (0.06)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.17 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$852.8 m in deposits at 9 offices of 6 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,864, highly concentrated. $433.7 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $410.8 m, grants $20.2 m), $26,556 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| United Bank | $226.1 m · 26.5% share · 3 offices | |
| First Bank | $173.7 m · 20.4% share · 2 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $159.5 m · 18.7% share · 1 office | |
| Beaufort, NC | $433.7 m FY2026 · $26,556/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $382.3 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Bank | $226,129,000 | 26.5% | 3 |
| First Bank | $173,741,000 | 20.4% | 2 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $159,451,000 | 18.7% | 1 |
| First National Bank of Pennsylvania | $104,049,000 | 12.2% | 1 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $98,387,000 | 11.5% | 1 |
| Southern Bank and Trust Company | $91,068,000 | 10.7% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,864 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 = 26.5² + 20.4² + 18.7² + … (3 more) = 1,864
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 | $336,086,634 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $45,480,326 |
| Department of Agriculture | $18,655,946 |
| Department of Transportation | $10,275,834 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $9,577,300 |
| Department of Education | $4,292,764 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $3,355,207 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $1,774,068 |
| Department of Defense | $1,302,144 |
| Department of Justice | $1,000,000 |
| Department of the Interior | $707,695 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $671,569 |
That is $26,556 per covered job, against 16,332 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $433.7 m / 16,332 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $26,556
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 | -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 #
Beaufort County, NC: 5 findings, 5 noted
noteBeaufort County, NC's average weekly wage was 4.8% 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
- +4.8 % = 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
noteBeaufort County, NC's covered employment was 0.9% 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
- +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
noteBeaufort County, NC's typical asking rent rose 0.8% from $1,172 in July 2026 to $1,182 in August 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.8% = (1181.75 - 1172.201260242316) / 1172.201260242316 × 100
- 1181.75 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
- 1172.201260242316 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-07
noteThe next Zillow ZHVI typical home value (monthly) covering Beaufort County, NC is due between 2026-10-14 and 2026-10-21, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern.
Show the arithmetic
- window = 2026-10-14 to 2026-10-21, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern
estimated from the publisher's past release pattern; not an announced date
noteThe next Zillow ZORI typical rent (monthly) covering Beaufort County, NC is due between 2026-10-14 and 2026-10-21, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern.
Show the arithmetic
- window = 2026-10-14 to 2026-10-21, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern
estimated from the publisher's past release pattern; not an announced date
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.