Wasco County, OR
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 45.16, -121.17.
Assembled 2026-10-07. Read the brief.
- 86th pct · 429th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 42nd pct · 21st of 36 Oregon counties · median $432,775
- 46th pct · 1,652nd of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 82nd pct · 7th of 36 Oregon counties · median +0.6%
- 71st pct · 398th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 62nd pct · 10th of 25 Oregon counties · median $1,753
- 56th pct · 1,417th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 40th pct · 22nd of 36 Oregon counties · median 15,683
- 75th pct · 777th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 65th pct · 13th of 36 Oregon counties · median $1,074
- 83rd pct · 521st of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 42nd pct · 21st of 36 Oregon counties · median 6.8
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 $399,730 (Aug 2026), +2.6% over one year, +13.8% over five
- 86th pct · 429th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 42nd pct · 21st of 36 Oregon counties · median $432,775
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wasco County, OR | $399,730 · +2.6% 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 #
Typical rent $1,768/mo (Aug 2026), +4.1% over one year; price-to-rent 18.8
- 71st pct · 398th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 62nd pct · 10th of 25 Oregon counties · median $1,753
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wasco County, OR | $1,768/mo · +4.1% 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 $2,188 a month on $399,730 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,196 a month: 42.1% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $399,730 × 80% = $319,784, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $2,188/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,199 × 52 / 12 = $5,196) = 42% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $399,730 / ($1,199 × 52) = 6.4
- price-to-rent = $399,730 / ($1,768 × 12) = 18.8
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 #
10,560 jobs at 1,022 employers (2026 Q1); -1.7% jobs and +4.3% average weekly wage over the year
- 56th pct · 1,417th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 40th pct · 22nd of 36 Oregon counties · median 15,683
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wasco County, OR | 10,560 jobs · $1,199/wk · -1.7% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 2,258 | $1,210 | 1.42 | +1.7% |
| Retail trade | 1,467 | $749 | 1.43 | -4.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,105 | $523 | 1.16 | -7.5% |
| Manufacturing | 420 | $1,376 | 0.49 | -11.9% |
| Construction | 394 | $1,272 | 0.71 | -1.7% |
| Other services | 324 | $758 | 1.03 | -2.7% |
| Administrative and waste services | 302 | $920 | 0.50 | +0.3% |
| Information | 280 | $6,078 | 1.44 | +10.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 217 | $1,108 | 0.54 | +17.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 188 | $1,186 | 0.42 | -7.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 144 | $1,626 | 0.33 | +4.3% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 88 | $359 | 0.51 | -8.3% |
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 #
D1 moderate 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 #
1 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 1, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PROWELL SPRINGS DIVERSION POOL, NEAR BEND, OR | 7.82 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 131 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 #
42 gauges · 0 flooding · 15 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 18 stale
Sites found: 42, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| WHITE RIVER BELOW TYGH VALLEY, OR | flow 93.6 ft³/s | 10 km |
| DESCHUTES RIVER AT SHERARS BRIDGE, OR | temp 15.6 °C · quality 100 % (1) | 15 km |
| BEAVER CREEK BELOW QUARTZ CREEK, NR SIMNASHO, OR | flow 30.1 ft³/s | 29 km |
| WARM SPRINGS RIVER NEAR SIMNASHO, OR | flow 181.0 ft³/s · STALE | 32 km |
| WARM SPRINGS RIVER NEAR KAHNEETA HOT SPRINGS, OR | flow 199.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 34 km |
| NF MILL CR ABV SF MILL CR, NR THE DALLES, OR | stage 1.03 ft · STALE | 44 km |
| SALMON RIVER NEAR GOVERNMENT CAMP, OREG. | flow 24.0 ft³/s · STALE | 45 km |
| SHITIKE CREEK NEAR WARM SPRINGS, OR | flow 37.0 ft³/s | 45 km |
| SHITIKE CR BL WOLFORD CANYON NR WARM SPRGS,OREG. | flow 698.0 ft³/s · STALE | 45 km |
| DESCHUTES RIVER NEAR MADRAS, OR | flow 3,640 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 49 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 #
7 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 7, 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-453845121191401 | depth 144.2 ft · 2007-10-25 | 55 km |
| USGS-453944121211301 | depth 433.6 ft · 2006-05-10 | 57 km |
| USGS-453937121215801 | depth 361.9 ft · 2006-09-30 | 57 km |
| USGS-454027121212501 | depth 393.2 ft · 2007-06-27 | 59 km |
| USGS-454013121225901 | depth 74.2 ft · 2007-09-25 | 59 km |
| USGS-454047121203701 | depth 93.0 ft · 2007-10-25 | 59 km |
| USGS-454040121222901 | depth 80.7 ft · 2007-10-23 | 59 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 (0.16)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$621.8 m in deposits at 8 offices of 6 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,012, highly concentrated. $211.2 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $187.2 m, grants $16.6 m), $20,004 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank National Association | $162.0 m · 26.1% share · 1 office | |
| Columbia Bank | $158.2 m · 25.4% share · 3 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $115.9 m · 18.6% share · 1 office | |
| Wasco, OR | $211.2 m FY2026 · $20,004/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $165.8 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank National Association | $162,026,000 | 26.1% | 1 |
| Columbia Bank | $158,203,000 | 25.4% | 3 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $115,917,000 | 18.6% | 1 |
| WaFd Bank | $92,590,000 | 14.9% | 1 |
| First Interstate Bank | $55,602,000 | 8.9% | 1 |
| BMO Bank National Association | $37,442,000 | 6.0% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,012 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 = 26.1² + 25.4² + 18.6² + … (3 more) = 2,012
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 | $143,818,897 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $33,900,270 |
| Department of Agriculture | $12,277,680 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $10,081,713 |
| Department of Defense | $4,465,269 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $2,627,921 |
| Department of Transportation | $2,010,354 |
| Department of Education | $1,641,276 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $359,540 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $124,842 |
| Small Business Administration | $115,856 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $0 |
That is $20,004 per covered job, against 10,560 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $211.2 m / 10,560 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $20,004
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 #
Wasco County, OR: 11 findings, 5 at a watch level and 6 noted
watchWasco County, OR's covered employment is -1.7% against a year earlier, a watch level here: covered employment below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; 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.emp = -1.7 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchWasco County, OR's price-to-rent ratio of 18.8 scores 65 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 13 across Oregon counties, a gap of 53 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 53 = |65 across US counties - 13 across Oregon counties|
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchWasco County, OR's typical home value of $399,730 scores 86 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 43 across Oregon counties, a gap of 43 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 43 = |86 across US counties - 43 across Oregon counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchWasco County, OR's years of wages of 6.4 scores 83 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 43 across Oregon counties, a gap of 40 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 40 = |83 across US counties - 43 across Oregon counties|
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchWasco County, OR's typical home value of +2.6% scores 46 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 83 across Oregon counties, a gap of 37 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 37 = |46 across US counties - 83 across Oregon counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 11 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.