Orangeburg County, SC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 33.44, -80.80.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 21st pct · 2,395th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 20th pct · 37th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $218,959
- 70th pct · 914th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 88th pct · 6th of 46 South Carolina counties · median +1.2%
- 30th pct · 974th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 19th pct · 22nd of 27 South Carolina counties · median $1,528
- 76th pct · 764th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 62nd pct · 18th of 46 South Carolina counties · median 18,411
- 29th pct · 2,267th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 15th pct · 39th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $1,061
- 28th pct · 2,191st of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 28th pct · 33rd of 46 South Carolina counties · median 4.1
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 $165,723 (Aug 2026), +4.8% over one year, +9.8% over five
- 21st pct · 2,395th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 20th pct · 37th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $218,959
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Orangeburg County, SC | $165,723 · +4.8% 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 $1,297/mo (Aug 2026), +4.7% over one year; price-to-rent 10.7
- 30th pct · 974th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 19th pct · 22nd of 27 South Carolina counties · median $1,528
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Orangeburg County, SC | $1,297/mo · +4.7% 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 $907 a month on $165,723 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,121 a month: 22.0% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $165,723 × 80% = $132,578, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $907/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $951 × 52 / 12 = $4,121) = 22% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $165,723 / ($951 × 52) = 3.4
- price-to-rent = $165,723 / ($1,297 × 12) = 10.7
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 #
27,111 jobs at 1,826 employers (2026 Q1); 0.0% jobs and +0.7% average weekly wage over the year
- 76th pct · 764th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 62nd pct · 18th of 46 South Carolina counties · median 18,411
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Orangeburg County, SC | 27,111 jobs · $951/wk · 0.0% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 3,706 | $642 | 1.40 | -1.1% |
| Manufacturing | 3,408 | $1,637 | 1.56 | +0.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,971 | $399 | 1.22 | -2.1% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,507 | $834 | 0.61 | -5.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,948 | $1,072 | 1.70 | +22.6% |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,128 | $646 | 0.73 | -2.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 1,025 | $1,083 | 0.99 | -8.6% |
| Educational services | 647 | $854 | 1.11 | +1.4% |
| Professional and technical services | 511 | $1,228 | 0.27 | +0.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 422 | $1,555 | 0.38 | -8.9% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 231 | $471 | 0.52 | -11.8% |
| Real estate and rental | 176 | $959 | 0.42 | +8.6% |
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 #
12 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 12, 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 MARION NEAR ELLOREE, SC | 71.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 31 km |
| LAKE MARION NEAR PINEVILLE, SC | 72.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 59 km |
| LK MOULTRIE AT REDIVERSION NR RUSSELLVILLE, SC | 72.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 75 km |
| LAKE MOULTRIE NEAR PINOPOLIS, SC | 72.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 78 km |
| LAKE MURRAY NEAR COLUMBIA, SC | 355.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 79 km |
| PARR SHOALS RESERVOIR AT PARR, SC | 261.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 104 km |
| MONTICELLO RES NR JENKINSVILLE, SC | 422.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 108 km |
| SAVANNAH RVR AT STEVENS CREEK DAM NR MORGANA, SC | 185.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 117 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 #
65 gauges · 0 flooding · 4 with quality panels averaging 97 % · 23 stale
Sites found: 65, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| NORTH FORK EDISTO RIVER AT ORANGEBURG, SC | flow 279.0 ft³/s | 8 km |
| N. Fork Edisto River at Orangeburg | no flooding | 8 km |
| SUNNYSIDE CANAL AT ORANGEBURG, SC | stage 0.48 ft | 9 km |
| COW CASTLE CREEK NEAR BOWMAN, SC | flow 1.21 ft³/s · no flooding | 11 km |
| SOUTH FORK EDISTO RIVER NEAR BAMBERG, SC | flow 257.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 23 km |
| SOUTH FORK EDISTO RIVER NEAR COPE, SC | flow 250.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 25 km |
| EDISTO RIVER NEAR BRANCHVILLE, SC | flow 491.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 29 km |
| INDIAN FIELD SWAMP AT MULBERRY RD NR ST GEORGE, SC | stage 7.44 ft | 30 km |
| SOUTH FORK EDISTO RIVER NEAR DENMARK, SC | flow 260.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 31 km |
| NORTH FORK EDISTO RIVER NR NORTH, SC AT HWY 321 | stage 9.22 ft · STALE | 33 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 #
41 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 41, 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-332649081072500 | depth 32.3 ft · 1992-09-29 | 30 km |
| USGS-334613080470400 | depth 10.9 ft · 2006-09-29 | 37 km |
| USGS-334616080470600 | depth 5.81 ft · 2005-08-25 | 37 km |
| USGS-334548080403100 | depth 7.85 ft · 2005-05-30 | 38 km |
| USGS-334741080465400 | depth -0.79 ft · 2005-07-03 | 40 km |
| USGS-334751080424200 | depth 2.71 ft · 2005-07-25 | 41 km |
| USGS-334833080515800 | depth 13.6 ft · 2006-09-19 | 42 km |
| USGS-334835080515600 | depth 13.5 ft · 2005-09-29 | 42 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 (0.33)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.03 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.4 bn in deposits at 17 offices of 9 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,727, highly concentrated. $678.9 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $597.6 m, grants $80.8 m), $25,040 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| SouthState Bank, National Association | $630.6 m · 43.7% share · 4 offices | |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $367.8 m · 25.5% share · 2 offices | |
| Farmers and Merchants Bank of South Carolina | $111.9 m · 7.8% share · 4 offices | |
| Orangeburg, SC | $678.9 m FY2026 · $25,040/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $567.4 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| SouthState Bank, National Association | $630,579,000 | 43.7% | 4 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $367,844,000 | 25.5% | 2 |
| Farmers and Merchants Bank of South Carolina | $111,858,000 | 7.8% | 4 |
| Truist Bank | $77,605,000 | 5.4% | 1 |
| First Bank | $75,765,000 | 5.3% | 1 |
| First National Bank of South Carolina | $74,007,000 | 5.1% | 2 |
| Coastal Carolina National Bank | $56,564,000 | 3.9% | 1 |
| The Bank of Clarendon | $32,289,000 | 2.2% | 1 |
| Enterprise Bank of South Carolina | $15,752,000 | 1.1% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,727 across 9 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 9 banks with deposits in the county = 43.7² + 25.5² + 7.8² + … (6 more) = 2,727
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 | $476,257,438 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $84,422,614 |
| Department of Transportation | $52,206,341 |
| Department of Education | $36,521,106 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $17,384,702 |
| Department of Agriculture | $6,571,725 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $1,967,047 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,677,370 |
| National Science Foundation | $1,449,421 |
| Department of Defense | $271,000 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $130,515 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
That is $25,040 per covered job, against 27,111 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $678.9 m / 27,111 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $25,040
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 #
Orangeburg County, SC: 7 findings, 7 noted
noteOrangeburg County, SC's typical asking rent rose 2.7% from $1,263 in July 2026 to $1,297 in August 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +2.7% = (1296.6555555555558 - 1263.101986939186) / 1263.101986939186 × 100
- 1296.6555555555558 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
- 1263.101986939186 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-07
noteOrangeburg County, SC's average weekly wage was 0.7% 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
- +0.7 % = 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
noteOrangeburg County, SC's typical home value rose 0.5% from $164,853 in July 2026 to $165,723 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.5% = (165723.07917367006 - 164852.6610052832) / 164852.6610052832 × 100
- 165723.07917367006 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 164852.6610052832 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteOrangeburg County, SC's price-to-rent ratio of 10.7 ranks 1,356th of 1,399 US counties, against a median of 17.2.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 3 on the 0-to-100 scale across 1399 US counties that published priceToRent
- 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
noteOrangeburg County, SC's price-to-rent ratio of 10.7 ranks 26th of 27 South Carolina counties, against a median of 15.7.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 4 on the 0-to-100 scale across 27 South Carolina counties that published priceToRent
- 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
Read all 7 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.