Alfalfa County, OK
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 36.73, -98.32.
Assembled 2026-10-07. Read the brief.
- 1st pct · 3,024th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 7th pct · 71st of 77 Oklahoma counties · median $169,041
- 1st pct · 3,029th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 1st pct · 76th of 77 Oklahoma counties · median +4.0%
- US counties: not published this period
- Oklahoma counties: not published this period
- 8th pct · 2,944th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 7th pct · 71st of 77 Oklahoma counties · median 7,282
- 36th pct · 2,041st of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 52nd pct · 37th of 77 Oklahoma counties · median $968
- 1st pct · 3,011th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 6th pct · 72nd of 77 Oklahoma counties · median 3.4
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 $86,325 (Aug 2026), -10.6% over one year, -24.2% over five
- 1st pct · 3,024th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 7th pct · 71st of 77 Oklahoma counties · median $169,041
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Alfalfa County, OK | $86,325 · -10.6% 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
- Oklahoma 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 $473 a month on $86,325 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,238 a month: 11.1% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $86,325 × 80% = $69,060, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $473/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $978 × 52 / 12 = $4,238) = 11% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $86,325 / ($978 × 52) = 1.7
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 #
1,225 jobs at 149 employers (2026 Q1); +5.8% jobs and -1.4% average weekly wage over the year
- 8th pct · 2,944th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 7th pct · 71st of 77 Oklahoma counties · median 7,282
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Alfalfa County, OK | 1,225 jobs · $978/wk · +5.8% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale trade | 141 | $746 | 3.01 | +27.0% |
| Retail trade | 102 | $583 | 0.85 | +10.9% |
| Construction | 99 | $1,527 | 1.54 | +200.0% |
| Manufacturing | 38 | $751 | 0.39 | +22.6% |
| Professional and technical services | 26 | $826 | 0.31 | +0.0% |
| Other services | 21 | $617 | 0.57 | -8.7% |
| Administrative and waste services | 3 | $509 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | withheld | |||
| Mining, oil and gas | withheld | |||
| Utilities | withheld | |||
| Transportation and warehousing | withheld | |||
| Finance and insurance | 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 #
3 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 3, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Canton Lake near Canton, OK | 77,680 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 76 km |
| CHENEY RE NR CHENEY, KS | 155,600 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 120 km |
| Lake Hefner at Oklahoma City, OK | 59,820 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 143 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 #
12 gauges · 0 flooding · 1 with quality panels averaging 75 % · 2 stale
Sites found: 12, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Salt Fork Arkansas River at Great Salt Plains Lake | no readings | 17 km |
| Salt Fork Arkansas River nr Jet, OK | flow 3.60 ft³/s · STALE | 18 km |
| Salt Fork Arkansas River nr Alva, OK | flow 8.02 ft³/s · no flooding | 30 km |
| MEDICINE LODGE R NR KIOWA, KS | flow 28.4 ft³/s · no flooding | 37 km |
| Salt Fork Arkansas River nr Winchester, OK | flow 2.70 ft³/s · STALE | 48 km |
| Cimarron River near Waynoka, OK | flow 34.2 ft³/s · no flooding | 55 km |
| North Boggy Creek at Garriott Rd at Enid, OK | stage 1,199 ft | 55 km |
| Boggy Creek at Enid Ave at Enid, OK | stage 1,199 ft | 56 km |
| Cimarron River near Ames | no flooding | 57 km |
| Boggy Creek at 30th St at Enid, OK | flow 0.67 ft³/s | 58 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 #
12 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 12, 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-365013098202902 | depth 10.3 ft · 2022-03-07 | 12 km |
| USGS-365342098175301 | depth 6.99 ft · 1990-05-20 | 16 km |
| USGS-365025098104301 | depth -0.66 ft · 2022-03-07 | 18 km |
| USGS-364555098074101 | depth 16.7 ft · 2022-03-07 | 18 km |
| USGS-364947098341401 | depth 10.5 ft · 2022-03-07 | 25 km |
| USGS-365143098404201 | depth 18.9 ft · 1995-09-29 | 35 km |
| USGS-364422097553901 | depth 9.33 ft · 2022-03-07 | 35 km |
| USGS-365327098440001 | depth 8.48 ft · 2021-11-01 | 41 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 (0.41)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.25 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$322.3 m in deposits at 8 offices of 6 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 3,328, highly concentrated. $52.0 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $42.3 m, grants $9.5 m), $42,474 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Gateway First Bank | $159.9 m · 49.6% share · 2 offices | |
| ACB Bank | $84.3 m · 26.2% share · 1 office | |
| Cleo State Bank | $33.3 m · 10.3% share · 2 offices | |
| Alfalfa, OK | $52.0 m FY2026 · $42,474/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $28.3 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway First Bank | $159,933,000 | 49.6% | 2 |
| ACB Bank | $84,295,000 | 26.2% | 1 |
| Cleo State Bank | $33,296,000 | 10.3% | 2 |
| Wisdom Heritage Bank | $20,180,000 | 6.3% | 1 |
| Cowboy Bank | $17,868,000 | 5.5% | 1 |
| Dream First Bank, National Association | $6,724,000 | 2.1% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 3,328 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 = 49.6² + 26.2² + 10.3² + … (3 more) = 3,328
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 | $25,264,403 |
| Department of Agriculture | $13,642,462 |
| Department of Transportation | $5,624,939 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $3,859,379 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $2,856,951 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $232,250 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $203,583 |
| Department of the Interior | $161,955 |
| Department of Education | $105,434 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $64,401 |
| Department of Defense | $14,550 |
That is $42,474 per covered job, against 1,225 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $52.0 m / 1,225 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $42,474
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 | 3.00 | 2026-10-06 | -50.0% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| 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 #
Alfalfa County, OK: 18 findings, 1 at an alert level, 2 at a watch level and 15 noted
alertAlfalfa County, OK's typical home value is -10.6% against a year earlier, an alert level here: typical home value at least 5 percent below a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; 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 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- test: home.yoyPct = -10.578275279790248 <= -5
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchAlfalfa County, OK's typical home value is -10.6% 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 = -10.578275279790248 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
watchAlfalfa County, OK's average weekly wage is -1.4% 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 = -1.4 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
noteAlfalfa County, OK's covered employment was 5.8% 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
- +5.8 % = 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
noteAlfalfa County, OK's average weekly wage was 1.4% 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
- -1.4 % = 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
Read all 12 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.