Columbus County, NC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 34.26, -78.64.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 32nd pct · 2,057th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 20th pct · 80th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
- 78th pct · 647th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 91st pct · 9th of 100 North Carolina counties · median +1.1%
- 16th pct · 1,166th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 6th pct · 59th of 63 North Carolina counties · median $1,573
- 64th pct · 1,155th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 41st pct · 59th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
- 32nd pct · 2,158th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 36th pct · 63rd of 100 North Carolina counties · median $984
- 39th pct · 1,857th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 24th pct · 76th 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 $190,152 (Aug 2026), +5.8% over one year, +21.9% over five
- 32nd pct · 2,057th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 20th pct · 80th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus County, NC | $190,152 · +5.8% 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 #
Typical rent $1,125/mo (Aug 2026), n/a over one year; price-to-rent 14.1
- 16th pct · 1,166th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 6th pct · 59th of 63 North Carolina counties · median $1,573
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus County, NC | $1,125/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 $1,041 a month on $190,152 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,177 a month: 24.9% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $190,152 × 80% = $152,121, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,041/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $964 × 52 / 12 = $4,177) = 25% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $190,152 / ($964 × 52) = 3.8
- price-to-rent = $190,152 / ($1,125 × 12) = 14.1
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 #
14,758 jobs at 1,211 employers (2026 Q1); +3.3% jobs and -0.1% average weekly wage over the year
- 64th pct · 1,155th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 41st pct · 59th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus County, NC | 14,758 jobs · $964/wk · +3.3% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 2,782 | $865 | 1.25 | +0.8% |
| Retail trade | 1,990 | $643 | 1.38 | +3.5% |
| Manufacturing | 1,524 | $1,624 | 1.28 | +3.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,184 | $362 | 0.89 | +10.7% |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,063 | $710 | 1.27 | +16.0% |
| Construction | 577 | $1,099 | 0.75 | -1.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 503 | $1,225 | 0.84 | +1.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 361 | $1,125 | 0.58 | -4.2% |
| Other services | 246 | $727 | 0.56 | +2.5% |
| Real estate and rental | 155 | $911 | 0.69 | -1.9% |
| Educational services | 45 | $450 | 0.14 | -4.3% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 44 | $245 | 0.18 | +18.9% |
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 #
39 gauges · 0 flooding · 13 with quality panels averaging 88 % · 16 stale
Sites found: 39, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| BR-382 HG3D AT BALD HEAD ISLAND, NC L SURFICIAL | temp 19.9 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 73 km |
| AIW AT HIGHWAY 9 AT NIXONS CROSSROADS, SC | flow 2,900 ft³/s · quality 50 % (3) | 46 km |
| WACCAMAW RIVER AT CONWAY MARINA AT CONWAY, SC | stage 8.29 ft · quality 80 % (5) | 61 km |
| WACCAMAW RIVER AT FREELAND, NC | flow 4.69 ft³/s | 20 km |
| BUCK CREEK NEAR LONGS, SC | flow 243.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (4) | 35 km |
| CAPE FEAR R AT LOCK 1 NR KELLY, NC | flow 1,220 ft³/s · quality 100 % (3) | 35 km |
| LUMBER RIVER AT BOARDMAN, NC | flow 241.0 ft³/s | 36 km |
| LUMBER RIVER AT FAIR BLUFF, NC | stage 58.7 ft · STALE | 37 km |
| WACCAMAW RIVER NEAR LONGS, SC | flow 185.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (5) | 39 km |
| CAPE FEAR RIVER AT LOCK 2 NEAR ELIZABETHTOWN, NC | stage 20.6 ft · STALE | 41 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 2 named aquifers: Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system, Surficial aquifer system
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-340743078202002 | depth 30.8 ft · 2007-12-30 | 31 km |
| USGS-340743078202006 | depth 11.5 ft · 2008-01-07 | 31 km |
| USGS-335334078352102 | depth 44.0 ft · 2008-01-07 | 41 km |
| USGS-335335078351901 | depth 15.7 ft · 2023-10-10 | 41 km |
| USGS-335334078352106 | depth 2.44 ft · 2014-12-01 | 41 km |
| USGS-340416078084202 | depth 10.1 ft · 2026-10-05 | 50 km |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system | depth 60.2 ft · 1992-09-29 | 52 km |
| USGS-335629078115407 | depth 8.88 ft · 2023-10-10 | 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 #
moderate (0.36)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.12 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.1 bn in deposits at 10 offices of 6 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 3,660, highly concentrated. $408.8 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $376.9 m, grants $31.7 m), $27,701 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Truist Bank | $600.6 m · 55.7% share · 2 offices | |
| United Bank | $170.9 m · 15.8% share · 3 offices | |
| First Bank | $159.8 m · 14.8% share · 2 offices | |
| Columbus, NC | $408.8 m FY2026 · $27,701/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $360.7 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truist Bank | $600,638,000 | 55.7% | 2 |
| United Bank | $170,912,000 | 15.8% | 3 |
| First Bank | $159,843,000 | 14.8% | 2 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $76,791,000 | 7.1% | 1 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $65,238,000 | 6.0% | 1 |
| Woodforest National Bank | $5,082,000 | 0.5% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 3,660 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 = 55.7² + 15.8² + 14.8² + … (3 more) = 3,660
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 | $307,376,437 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $52,360,493 |
| Department of Transportation | $29,934,529 |
| Department of Agriculture | $9,791,089 |
| Department of Education | $4,035,183 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $3,209,901 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $995,876 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $398,251 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $375,000 |
| Department of Justice | $250,000 |
| Department of Defense | $57,530 |
| Small Business Administration | $30,416 |
That is $27,701 per covered job, against 14,758 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $408.8 m / 14,758 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $27,701
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 #
Columbus County, NC: 10 findings, 1 at a watch level and 9 noted
watchColumbus County, NC's average weekly wage is -0.1% 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 = -0.1 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
noteColumbus County, NC's covered employment was 3.3% 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
- +3.3 % = 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
noteColumbus County, NC's typical home value fell 0.7% from $191,536 in July 2026 to $190,152 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- -0.7% = (190151.63086859192 - 191536.1262080992) / 191536.1262080992 × 100
- 190151.63086859192 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 191536.1262080992 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteColumbus County, NC's average weekly wage was 0.1% 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
- -0.1 % = 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
notetypical asking rent (rent.latest) and typical asking rent (rent.momPct) for Columbus County, NC could not be lined up against the previous published period this run, so no change is printed for them.
Show the arithmetic
- not comparable this run: rent.latest, rent.momPct
the two newest month columns in the published file are not the two this table carries
Read all 10 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.