Amherst County, VA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 37.63, -79.15.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 60th pct · 1,217th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 35th pct · 86th of 133 Virginia counties · median $307,999
- 25th pct · 4th of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median $275,574
- 37th pct · 1,918th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 27th pct · 97th of 133 Virginia counties · median +2.9%
- 25th pct · 4th of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median +2.2%
- 17th pct · 1,151st of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 5th pct · 75th of 79 Virginia counties · median $1,757
- counties in the Lynchburg metro: only 4 of counties in the Lynchburg metro published this metric; fewer than 5 is too few to rank
- 48th pct · 1,648th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 44th pct · 74th of 133 Virginia counties · median 9,944
- 25th pct · 4th of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median 18,773
- 30th pct · 2,248th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 24th pct · 101st of 133 Virginia counties · median $1,048
- 25th pct · 4th of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median $995
- 69th pct · 926th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 48th pct · 69th of 133 Virginia counties · median 5.4
- 50th pct · 3rd of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median 5.3
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 $264,508 (Aug 2026), +1.8% over one year, +25.2% over five
- 60th pct · 1,217th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 35th pct · 86th of 133 Virginia counties · median $307,999
- 25th pct · 4th of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median $275,574
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Amherst County, VA | $264,508 · +1.8% 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 $1,138/mo (Aug 2026), n/a over one year; price-to-rent 19.4
- 17th pct · 1,151st of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 5th pct · 75th of 79 Virginia counties · median $1,757
- counties in the Lynchburg metro: only 4 of counties in the Lynchburg metro published this metric; fewer than 5 is too few to rank
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Amherst County, VA | $1,138/mo · n/a 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 $1,448 a month on $264,508 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,130 a month: 35.1% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $264,508 × 80% = $211,606, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,448/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $953 × 52 / 12 = $4,130) = 35% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $264,508 / ($953 × 52) = 5.3
- price-to-rent = $264,508 / ($1,138 × 12) = 19.4
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 #
7,832 jobs at 767 employers (2026 Q1); -0.2% jobs and +5.9% average weekly wage over the year
- 48th pct · 1,648th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 44th pct · 74th of 133 Virginia counties · median 9,944
- 25th pct · 4th of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median 18,773
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Amherst County, VA | 7,832 jobs · $953/wk · -0.2% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,388 | $1,488 | 2.20 | +0.6% |
| Retail trade | 1,053 | $642 | 1.38 | -2.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 621 | $443 | 0.88 | -4.0% |
| Construction | 422 | $1,205 | 1.03 | -0.7% |
| Professional and technical services | 204 | $1,267 | 0.38 | +8.5% |
| Other services | 185 | $651 | 0.79 | +7.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 127 | $1,061 | 0.42 | +0.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 113 | $1,310 | 0.35 | +2.7% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 51 | $729 | 0.40 | -27.1% |
| Unclassified | 51 | $496 | 3.06 | +10.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 29 | $947 | 0.51 | -6.5% |
| Real estate and rental | 23 | $833 | 0.19 | +27.8% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| AFTERBAY RESERVOIR AT DAM NR MCGEHEES MILL, NC | 364.6 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 124 km |
| HYCO LAKE AT DAM NR ROXBORO, NC | 8.00 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 125 km |
| LITTLE RIVER RESERVOIR NEAR RADFORD, VA | 231.0 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 140 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 #
61 gauges · 0 flooding · 22 with quality panels averaging 99 % · 26 stale
Sites found: 61, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PEDLAR RIVER AT FOREST ROAD NEAR BUENA VISTA, VA | flow 2.98 ft³/s | 13 km |
| PINEY RIVER AT PINEY RIVER, VA | flow 6.55 ft³/s | 14 km |
| HARRIS CREEK BELOW ROUTE 130 NEAR MONROE, VA | flow 2.98 ft³/s | 16 km |
| JAMES RIVER AT HOLCOMB ROCK, VA | flow 499.0 ft³/s | 17 km |
| TYE RIVER NEAR LOVINGSTON, VA | flow 9.74 ft³/s | 18 km |
| JAMES RIVER AT BEDFORD DAM NR MAJOR, VA | stage 5.80 ft | 20 km |
| JAMES RIVER AT BLUE RIDGE PKWY NR BIG ISLAND, VA | flow 644.0 ft³/s | 20 km |
| BUFFALO RIVER NEAR TYE RIVER, VA | flow 53.0 ft³/s · STALE | 21 km |
| SOUTH RIVER AT RT 716 NEAR BUENA VISTA, VA | stage 4.06 ft · STALE | 25 km |
| POAGUE RUN NEAR GLASGOW, VA | stage 2.31 ft · quality 100 % (1) · STALE | 25 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 #
14 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 14, 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-373758079271601 | depth 29.6 ft · 2026-10-05 | 26 km |
| USGS-375540079123501 | depth 56.6 ft · 2026-10-05 | 34 km |
| USGS-372543079295402 | depth 18.0 ft · 2026-10-05 | 38 km |
| USGS-372543079295403 | depth 12.8 ft · 2026-10-05 | 38 km |
| USGS-372543079295401 | depth 15.3 ft · 2011-10-16 | 38 km |
| USGS-375055079290201 | depth 12.2 ft · 2026-09-08 | 38 km |
| USGS-374022078432501 | depth 30.3 ft · 2026-10-05 | 38 km |
| USGS-372053078493801 | depth 1.79 ft · 2026-10-05 | 43 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 (0.32)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.01 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$564.3 m in deposits at 8 offices of 6 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,784, highly concentrated. $246.8 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $224.9 m, contracts $14.7 m), $31,506 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Truist Bank | $229.0 m · 40.6% share · 2 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $139.0 m · 24.6% share · 1 office | |
| Bank of the James | $119.6 m · 21.2% share · 2 offices | |
| Amherst, VA | $246.8 m FY2026 · $31,506/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $218.6 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truist Bank | $229,045,000 | 40.6% | 2 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $138,969,000 | 24.6% | 1 |
| Bank of the James | $119,616,000 | 21.2% | 2 |
| Carter Bank & Trust | $35,757,000 | 6.3% | 1 |
| First National Bank | $35,755,000 | 6.3% | 1 |
| Woodforest National Bank | $5,155,000 | 0.9% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,784 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 = 40.6² + 24.6² + 21.2² + … (3 more) = 2,784
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 | $196,611,243 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $21,500,013 |
| Department of Labor | $11,364,850 |
| Department of Transportation | $4,196,210 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $3,931,571 |
| Department of the Interior | $2,937,126 |
| Department of Agriculture | $2,273,264 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,522,285 |
| Department of Education | $862,386 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $818,727 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $591,287 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $148,713 |
That is $31,506 per covered job, against 7,832 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $246.8 m / 7,832 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $31,506
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 | 12.28 | 2026-10-04 | -0.1% |
| 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 | -88,576.00 | 2026-07-01 | -24.4% |
| 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 #
Amherst County, VA: 8 findings, 1 at a watch level and 7 noted
watchAmherst County, VA's covered employment is -0.2% 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 = -0.2 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
noteAmherst County, VA's average weekly wage was 5.9% 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
- +5.9 % = 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
noteAmherst County, VA's typical asking rent rose 2.3% from $1,113 in July 2026 to $1,138 in August 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +2.3% = (1137.638888888889 - 1112.515162098041) / 1112.515162098041 × 100
- 1137.638888888889 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
- 1112.515162098041 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-07
noteAmherst County, VA's typical home value rose 0.3% from $263,697 in July 2026 to $264,508 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.3% = (264507.58559091104 - 263696.68206655193) / 263696.68206655193 × 100
- 264507.58559091104 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 263696.68206655193 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteAmherst County, VA's covered employment was 0.2% 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
- -0.2 % = 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
Read all 8 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.