Wilkes County, NC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 36.21, -81.17.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 46th pct · 1,624th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 29th pct · 71st of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
- 72nd pct · 845th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 84th pct · 16th of 100 North Carolina counties · median +1.1%
- US counties: not published this period
- North Carolina counties: not published this period
- 70th pct · 949th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 55th pct · 45th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
- 44th pct · 1,796th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 60th pct · 40th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $984
- 50th pct · 1,521st of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 33rd pct · 67th 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 $226,949 (Aug 2026), +5.0% over one year, +30.5% over five
- 46th pct · 1,624th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 29th pct · 71st of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wilkes County, NC | $226,949 · +5.0% 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
- North Carolina 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 $1,242 a month on $226,949 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,394 a month: 28.3% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $226,949 × 80% = $181,559, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,242/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,014 × 52 / 12 = $4,394) = 28% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $226,949 / ($1,014 × 52) = 4.3
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 #
19,348 jobs at 1,379 employers (2026 Q1); +2.1% jobs and +1.0% average weekly wage over the year
- 70th pct · 949th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 55th pct · 45th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wilkes County, NC | 19,348 jobs · $1,014/wk · +2.1% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,428 | $1,240 | 2.20 | -3.1% |
| Health care and social assistance | 3,339 | $1,223 | 1.15 | +1.4% |
| Retail trade | 2,484 | $651 | 1.32 | +0.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,685 | $367 | 0.97 | +4.1% |
| Administrative and waste services | 777 | $652 | 0.71 | +34.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 776 | $1,447 | 1.05 | -1.1% |
| Professional and technical services | 490 | $1,190 | 0.37 | +10.9% |
| Other services | 364 | $752 | 0.63 | +0.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 353 | $1,185 | 0.43 | +7.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 279 | $2,096 | 0.35 | -0.7% |
| Real estate and rental | 178 | $1,197 | 0.60 | +6.6% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 176 | $292 | 0.55 | +6.7% |
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 #
6 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 6, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| W. KERR SCOTT RESERVOIR AT DAM NR WILKESBORO, NC | 30.0 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 10 km |
| LITTLE RIVER RESERVOIR NEAR RADFORD, VA | 231.0 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 110 km |
| GASTON SHOALS RESERVOIR ABOVE BLACKSBURG, SC | 79.1 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 125 km |
| NINETYNINE ISLAND RES. BELOW CHEROKEE FALLS, SC | 99.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 134 km |
| LAKE BLALOCK NEAR COWPENS, SC | 710.6 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 143 km |
| LAKE WILLIAM C. BOWEN NEAR FINGERVILLE, SC | 815.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 145 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 #
68 gauges · 0 flooding · 4 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 8 stale
Sites found: 68, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| REDDIES RIVER AT NORTH WILKESBORO, NC | flow 46.7 ft³/s · no flooding | 4 km |
| YADKIN RIVER AT WILKESBORO, NC | flow 412.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 7 km |
| Moravian Creek at Wilkesboro | no flooding | 8 km |
| YADKIN RIVER BL W KERR SCOTT DAM NEAR BUCK, NC | flow 305.0 ft³/s | 10 km |
| ROARING RIVER NEAR ROARING RIVER, NC | flow 102.0 ft³/s · STALE | 12 km |
| ELK CREEK AT ELKVILLE, NC | flow 32.6 ft³/s · no flooding | 26 km |
| Little River near Sparta | no flooding | 28 km |
| YADKIN RIVER AT ELKIN, NC | flow 645.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 29 km |
| SOUTH FORK NEW RIVER NEAR JEFFERSON, NC | flow 175.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 30 km |
| LOWER LITTLE RIVER NR ALL HEALING SPRINGS, NC | flow 16.7 ft³/s · no flooding | 30 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 #
10 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 10, 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-355031081243203 | depth 23.5 ft · 2026-10-05 | 46 km |
| USGS-355031081243202 | depth 9.79 ft · 2026-10-05 | 46 km |
| USGS-354616081085101 | depth 41.6 ft · 2026-10-05 | 49 km |
| USGS-354616081085102 | depth 41.8 ft · 2026-10-05 | 49 km |
| USGS-361646081430401 | depth 29.8 ft · 2026-10-05 | 50 km |
| USGS-361307080293101 | depth 15.1 ft · 2014-02-17 | 60 km |
| USGS-355359080331701 | depth 19.0 ft · 2026-10-05 | 65 km |
| USGS-360455081530101 | depth 2.21 ft · 2011-11-27 | 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 (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$855.4 m in deposits at 11 offices of 9 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,594, moderately concentrated. $488.3 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $465.4 m, grants $19.8 m), $25,239 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $212.6 m · 24.9% share · 2 offices | |
| First National Bank of Pennsylvania | $176.6 m · 20.6% share · 2 offices | |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $123.1 m · 14.4% share · 1 office | |
| Wilkes, NC | $488.3 m FY2026 · $25,239/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $455.2 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $212,593,000 | 24.9% | 2 |
| First National Bank of Pennsylvania | $176,562,000 | 20.6% | 2 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $123,056,000 | 14.4% | 1 |
| Truist Bank | $97,183,000 | 11.4% | 1 |
| First Horizon Bank | $71,985,000 | 8.4% | 1 |
| SKYLINE NATIONAL BANK | $71,956,000 | 8.4% | 1 |
| Piedmont Federal Savings Bank | $64,231,000 | 7.5% | 1 |
| First Community Bank | $33,660,000 | 3.9% | 1 |
| Woodforest National Bank | $4,134,000 | 0.5% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,594 across 9 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 9 banks with deposits in the county = 24.9² + 20.6² + 14.4² + … (6 more) = 1,594
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 | $414,702,939 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $40,291,109 |
| Department of Transportation | $13,653,825 |
| Department of Education | $6,194,456 |
| Department of Agriculture | $4,937,203 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $4,036,195 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $1,842,538 |
| Department of Defense | $1,639,179 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $446,886 |
| Department of Justice | $412,509 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $178,037 |
| Department of Homeland Security | -$4,679 |
That is $25,239 per covered job, against 19,348 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $488.3 m / 19,348 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $25,239
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 #
Wilkes County, NC: 4 findings, 4 noted
noteWilkes County, NC's covered employment was 2.1% 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
- +2.1 % = 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
noteWilkes County, NC's average weekly wage was 1.0% 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
- +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
noteWilkes County, NC's typical home value rose 0.6% from $225,501 in July 2026 to $226,949 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.6% = (226949.18043286618 - 225501.1895619676) / 225501.1895619676 × 100
- 226949.18043286618 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 225501.1895619676 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteThe next Zillow ZHVI typical home value (monthly) covering Wilkes 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.