Colorado County, TX
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 29.60, -96.51.
Assembled 2026-10-07. Read the brief.
- 69th pct · 931st of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 80th pct · 49th of 243 Texas counties · median $215,660
- 6th pct · 2,876th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 15th pct · 206th of 243 Texas counties · median +0.0%
- US counties: not published this period
- Texas counties: not published this period
- 47th pct · 1,699th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 55th pct · 113th of 254 Texas counties · median 6,022
- 51st pct · 1,553rd of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 36th pct · 161st of 254 Texas counties · median $1,115
- 72nd pct · 842nd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 83rd pct · 42nd of 243 Texas counties · median 3.6
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 $300,285 (Aug 2026), -3.7% over one year, +4.7% over five
- 69th pct · 931st of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 80th pct · 49th of 243 Texas counties · median $215,660
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado County, TX | $300,285 · -3.7% 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
- Texas 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 $1,644 a month on $300,285 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,533 a month: 36.3% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $300,285 × 80% = $240,228, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,644/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,046 × 52 / 12 = $4,533) = 36% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $300,285 / ($1,046 × 52) = 5.5
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 #
7,407 jobs at 624 employers (2026 Q1); +0.3% jobs and +2.6% average weekly wage over the year
- 47th pct · 1,699th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 55th pct · 113th of 254 Texas counties · median 6,022
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado County, TX | 7,407 jobs · $1,046/wk · +0.3% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,150 | $1,321 | 1.93 | +2.2% |
| Retail trade | 896 | $781 | 1.24 | -2.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 628 | $426 | 0.94 | -2.2% |
| Construction | 496 | $1,403 | 1.28 | -1.2% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 375 | $833 | 3.08 | +5.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 358 | $1,186 | 1.15 | +4.7% |
| Mining, oil and gas | 249 | $1,444 | 9.44 | -8.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 182 | $915 | 3.40 | -10.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 150 | $1,278 | 0.50 | +2.7% |
| Professional and technical services | 139 | $1,203 | 0.27 | -2.1% |
| Real estate and rental | 42 | $1,377 | 0.37 | +5.0% |
| Utilities | 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 #
93 % of conservation capacity, weighted over 8 TWDB reservoirs
Sites found: 13, 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 Texana | 89 % full · 159k ac-ft | 79 km |
| Somerville Lake | 91 % full · 150k ac-ft | 81 km |
| Barker Res nr Addicks, TX | 8,223 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 85 km |
| Addicks Res nr Addicks, TX | 12,410 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 88 km |
| Coleto Creek Reservoir | 75 % full · 31k ac-ft | 115 km |
| Gibbons Creek Reservoir | 88 % full · 26k ac-ft | 120 km |
| Lk Conroe nr Conroe, TX | 397,900 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 125 km |
| Lake Conroe | 95 % full · 418k ac-ft | 125 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 #
45 gauges · 0 flooding · 4 with quality panels averaging 72 % · 3 stale
Sites found: 45, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Brazos Rv at Richmond, TX | flow 1,590 ft³/s · quality 75 % (4) · no flooding | 73 km |
| USGS-294617096021200 | DO 7.80 mg/l · quality 75 % (4) · STALE | 50 km |
| LCRA Colorado Rv nr Altair, TX | stage 9.22 ft | 9 km |
| Colorado Rv at Columbus, TX | flow 1,140 ft³/s · no flooding | 13 km |
| LCRA Colorado Rv nr Garwood, TX | stage 134.7 ft | 13 km |
| W Sandy Ck at FM 2437 nr Sheridan, TX | stage 193.1 ft | 23 km |
| Redgate Ck nr Columbus, TX | flow 0.42 ft³/s · no flooding | 23 km |
| Cummins Creek at Frelsburg | no flooding | 26 km |
| San Bernard Rv nr Chesterville, TX | flow 509.0 ft³/s | 27 km |
| Navidad Rv nr Hallettsville, TX | flow 0.00 ft³/s · no flooding | 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 #
No USGS monitoring wells within 75 km (or above 1,500 km)
Sites found: 0, 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.
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 (0.30)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.3×0.07 + 0.2×0.28 / 0.85
Banks & federal dollars #
$782.2 m in deposits at 12 offices of 7 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,219, highly concentrated. $171.6 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $163.7 m, grants $7.5 m), $23,168 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus State Bank | $281.0 m · 35.9% share · 3 offices | |
| The Huntington National Bank | $142.9 m · 18.3% share · 3 offices | |
| The First State Bank | $133.6 m · 17.1% share · 1 office | |
| Colorado, TX | $171.6 m FY2026 · $23,168/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $150.9 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus State Bank | $280,958,000 | 35.9% | 3 |
| The Huntington National Bank | $142,929,000 | 18.3% | 3 |
| The First State Bank | $133,641,000 | 17.1% | 1 |
| The First National Bank of Eagle Lake | $119,092,000 | 15.2% | 2 |
| Fayette Savings Bank, SSB | $54,994,000 | 7.0% | 1 |
| Prosperity Bank | $30,736,000 | 3.9% | 1 |
| Lone Star Bank | $19,861,000 | 2.5% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,219 across 7 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 7 banks with deposits in the county = 35.9² + 18.3² + 17.1² + … (4 more) = 2,219
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 | $137,278,447 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $12,114,243 |
| Department of Agriculture | $11,874,026 |
| Department of Transportation | $7,481,442 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,541,132 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $982,784 |
| Department of the Interior | $246,219 |
| Small Business Administration | $47,794 |
| Department of Education | $41,238 |
That is $23,168 per covered job, against 7,407 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $171.6 m / 7,407 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $23,168
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 #
Colorado County, TX: 6 findings, 1 at a watch level and 5 noted
watchColorado County, TX's typical home value is -3.7% 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 = -3.7499130533661877 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
noteColorado County, TX's average weekly wage was 2.6% 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
- +2.6 % = 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
noteColorado County, TX's covered employment was 0.3% 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
- +0.3 % = 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
noteColorado County, TX's typical home value of -3.7% ranks 2,876th of 3,063 US counties, against a median of +2.9%.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 6 on the 0-to-100 scale across 3063 US counties that published home.yoyPct
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteThe next Zillow ZHVI typical home value (monthly) covering Colorado County, TX 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
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.