Yancey County, NC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 35.89, -82.30.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 73rd pct · 826th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 66th pct · 34th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
- 19th pct · 2,469th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 21st pct · 79th of 100 North Carolina counties · median +1.1%
- US counties: not published this period
- North Carolina counties: not published this period
- 37th pct · 2,003rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 17th pct · 83rd of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
- 42nd pct · 1,864th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 56th pct · 44th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $984
- 79th pct · 621st of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 69th pct · 31st 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 $317,556 (Aug 2026), -0.2% over one year, +20.0% over five
- 73rd pct · 826th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 66th pct · 34th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Yancey County, NC | $317,556 · -0.2% 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 $1,738 a month on $317,556 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,351 a month: 40.0% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $317,556 × 80% = $254,045, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,738/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,004 × 52 / 12 = $4,351) = 40% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $317,556 / ($1,004 × 52) = 6.1
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 #
5,135 jobs at 503 employers (2026 Q1); +6.6% jobs and +2.2% average weekly wage over the year
- 37th pct · 2,003rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 17th pct · 83rd of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Yancey County, NC | 5,135 jobs · $1,004/wk · +6.6% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,490 | $1,387 | 3.61 | +10.1% |
| Retail trade | 706 | $575 | 1.41 | +4.3% |
| Construction | 399 | $956 | 1.48 | +10.8% |
| Other services | 143 | $886 | 0.93 | +9.2% |
| Administrative and waste services | 128 | $2,079 | 0.44 | +39.1% |
| Professional and technical services | 119 | $745 | 0.34 | +15.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 76 | $1,239 | 0.36 | -17.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 47 | $975 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| Real estate and rental | 24 | $963 | 0.30 | +0.0% |
| Information | 20 | $866 | 0.21 | -4.8% |
| Unclassified | 1 | $1,000 | 0.09 | +0.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 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 #
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 |
|---|---|---|
| LAKE LOGAN AT DAM NEAR HAZELWOOD, NC | 52.9 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 76 km |
| LAKE WILLIAM C. BOWEN NEAR FINGERVILLE, SC | 815.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 89 km |
| W. KERR SCOTT RESERVOIR AT DAM NR WILKESBORO, NC | 30.0 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 101 km |
| LAKE BLALOCK NEAR COWPENS, SC | 710.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 101 km |
| GASTON SHOALS RESERVOIR ABOVE BLACKSBURG, SC | 79.1 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 105 km |
| NINETYNINE ISLAND RES. BELOW CHEROKEE FALLS, SC | 99.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 120 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 #
53 gauges · 0 flooding · 13 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 14 stale
Sites found: 53, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| SOUTH TOE RIVER NEAR CELO, NC | flow 37.1 ft³/s | 13 km |
| NORTH FORK SWANNANOA RIVER NEAR WALKERTOWN, NC | flow 5.26 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 23 km |
| BEETREE CREEK NEAR SWANNANOA, NC | flow 1.00 ft³/s | 28 km |
| SWANNANOA RIVER AT INTERSTATE 40 AT BLACK MTN, NC | flow 2.20 ft³/s · STALE | 30 km |
| IVY RIVER NEAR MARSHALL, NC | flow 23.8 ft³/s | 32 km |
| CATAWBA R NR PLEASANT GARDENS, NC | flow 104.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 32 km |
| FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT MARSHALL, NC | flow 886.0 ft³/s | 34 km |
| NOLICHUCKY RIVER AT EMBREEVILLE, TN | stage 1.11 ft | 35 km |
| REED CREEK ABOVE BARNARD AVE AT ASHEVILLE, NC | flow 3.00 ft³/s · STALE | 38 km |
| LINVILLE RIVER NEAR NEBO, NC | flow 62.7 ft³/s | 39 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-354133082042203 | depth 29.1 ft · 2026-10-05 | 30 km |
| USGS-354133082042201 | depth 28.8 ft · 2026-10-05 | 30 km |
| USGS-360455081530101 | depth 2.21 ft · 2011-11-27 | 43 km |
| USGS-361738082132900 | depth 12.1 ft · 1989-09-30 | 46 km |
| USGS-354302081433201 | depth 9.00 ft · 2026-10-05 | 56 km |
| USGS-354302081433202 | depth 12.2 ft · 2026-10-05 | 56 km |
| USGS-361646081430401 | depth 29.8 ft · 2026-10-05 | 68 km |
| USGS-351808082374302 | depth 35.9 ft · 2026-10-05 | 72 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 #
$444.7 m in deposits at 5 offices of 5 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,317, highly concentrated. $786.3 m federal obligations in FY2026 (grants $624.6 m, direct payments $140.8 m), $153,132 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $146.9 m · 33.0% share · 1 office | |
| United Community Bank | $105.4 m · 23.7% share · 1 office | |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $80.1 m · 18.0% share · 1 office | |
| Yancey, NC | $786.3 m FY2026 · $153,132/job | |
| TRANSPORTATION NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT | $624.6 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $146,894,000 | 33.0% | 1 |
| United Community Bank | $105,413,000 | 23.7% | 1 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $80,127,000 | 18.0% | 1 |
| TD Bank, National Association | $70,491,000 | 15.9% | 1 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $41,762,000 | 9.4% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,317 across 5 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 5 banks with deposits in the county = 33.0² + 23.7² + 18.0² + … (2 more) = 2,317
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 |
|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | $640,520,071 |
| Social Security Administration | $124,187,234 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $13,561,757 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $4,568,000 |
| Department of Agriculture | $2,369,619 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $927,901 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $206,299 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $146,113 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $100,000 |
| Small Business Administration | -$251,817 |
That is $153,132 per covered job, against 5,135 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $786.3 m / 5,135 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $153,132
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 #
Yancey County, NC: 6 findings, 1 at a watch level and 5 noted
watchYancey County, NC's typical home value is -0.2% 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 = -0.19452480242863887 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
noteYancey County, NC's covered employment was 6.6% 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
- +6.6 % = 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
noteYancey County, NC's average weekly wage was 2.2% 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
- +2.2 % = 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
noteYancey County, NC's covered employment of +6.6% ranks 121st of 3,221 US counties, against a median of -0.2%.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 96 on the 0-to-100 scale across 3221 US counties that published jobs.yoy.emp
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteYancey County, NC's covered employment of +6.6% ranks 5th of 100 North Carolina counties, against a median of +0.9%.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 96 on the 0-to-100 scale across 100 North Carolina counties that published jobs.yoy.emp
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 6 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.