Halifax County, VA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 36.77, -78.94.
Assembled 2026-10-07. Read the brief.
- 17th pct · 2,538th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 9th pct · 121st of 133 Virginia counties · median $307,999
- 96th pct · 101st of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 96th pct · 5th of 133 Virginia counties · median +2.9%
- 40th pct · 827th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 19th pct · 64th of 79 Virginia counties · median $1,757
- 58th pct · 1,335th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 57th pct · 57th of 133 Virginia counties · median 9,944
- 45th pct · 1,734th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 45th pct · 72nd of 133 Virginia counties · median $1,048
- 17th pct · 2,528th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 8th pct · 122nd of 133 Virginia counties · median 5.4
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 $153,994 (Aug 2026), +10.6% over one year, +39.1% over five
- 17th pct · 2,538th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 9th pct · 121st of 133 Virginia counties · median $307,999
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Halifax County, VA | $153,994 · +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 #
Typical rent $1,395/mo (Aug 2026), n/a over one year; price-to-rent 9.2
- 40th pct · 827th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 19th pct · 64th of 79 Virginia counties · median $1,757
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Halifax County, VA | $1,395/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 $843 a month on $153,994 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,429 a month: 19.0% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $153,994 × 80% = $123,195, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $843/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,022 × 52 / 12 = $4,429) = 19% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $153,994 / ($1,022 × 52) = 2.9
- price-to-rent = $153,994 / ($1,395 × 12) = 9.2
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 #
11,813 jobs at 983 employers (2026 Q1); 0.0% jobs and +1.6% average weekly wage over the year
- 58th pct · 1,335th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 57th pct · 57th of 133 Virginia counties · median 9,944
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Halifax County, VA | 11,813 jobs · $1,022/wk · 0.0% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,920 | $1,317 | 2.02 | -3.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,884 | $1,047 | 1.06 | +3.9% |
| Retail trade | 1,187 | $628 | 1.03 | -5.9% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,000 | $1,082 | 2.01 | -5.3% |
| Construction | 864 | $1,451 | 1.40 | +6.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 843 | $411 | 0.79 | +0.5% |
| Other services | 314 | $721 | 0.89 | +8.3% |
| Professional and technical services | 306 | $1,255 | 0.38 | +25.4% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 287 | $530 | 1.48 | -1.7% |
| Administrative and waste services | 230 | $712 | 0.34 | +5.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 166 | $1,396 | 0.34 | -5.1% |
| Real estate and rental | 58 | $680 | 0.32 | +0.0% |
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 #
6 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 6, 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) | 28 km |
| HYCO LAKE AT DAM NR ROXBORO, NC | 7.99 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 30 km |
| BEAVERDAM CREEK AT DAM NEAR CREEDMOOR, NC | 248.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 86 km |
| FALLS LAKE ABOVE DAM NR FALLS, NC | 246.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 97 km |
| B. EVERETT JORDAN LAKE AT DAM NR MONCURE, NC | 213.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 124 km |
| LITTLE RIVER RESERVOIR NEAR RADFORD, VA | 231.0 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 149 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 #
39 gauges · 0 flooding · 9 with quality panels averaging 99 % · 6 stale
Sites found: 39, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| BANISTER RIVER AT HALIFAX, VA | flow 19.4 ft³/s | 2 km |
| DAN RIVER AT SOUTH BOSTON, VA | flow 351.0 ft³/s | 9 km |
| DAN RIVER AT PACES, VA | flow 399.0 ft³/s | 19 km |
| HYCO RIVER NEAR DENNISTON, VA | flow 143.0 ft³/s · STALE | 20 km |
| ROANOKE (STAUNTON) RIVER AT RANDOLPH, VA | flow 653.0 ft³/s | 24 km |
| MAYO CR NR BETHEL HILL, NC | flow 11.9 ft³/s | 26 km |
| HYCO R BL ABAY D NR MCGEHEES MILL, NC | flow 4.17 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 28 km |
| ROANOKE (STAUNTON) RIVER AT BROOKNEAL, VA | flow 565.0 ft³/s | 30 km |
| CHERRYSTONE CK BELOW NR CO RD 1444 NR CHATHAM, VA | stage 0.00 ft · quality 100 % (5) | 38 km |
| CHERRYSTONE CK ABOVE NR CO RD 1444 NR CHATHAM, VA | turb. 5.50 FNU · quality 100 % (5) | 38 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-364157078392201 | depth 29.9 ft · 2026-10-06 | 26 km |
| USGS-364644079195401 | depth 18.6 ft · 2026-10-06 | 35 km |
| USGS-362515078562701 | depth 25.2 ft · 2013-05-08 | 38 km |
| USGS-362458078562601 | depth 24.9 ft · 2013-05-08 | 39 km |
| USGS-362454078562901 | depth 21.9 ft · 2013-05-08 | 39 km |
| USGS-363600078181601 | depth 30.2 ft · 1993-10-27 | 60 km |
| USGS-372053078493801 | depth 1.79 ft · 2026-10-05 | 65 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 #
$845.0 m in deposits at 9 offices of 7 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,887, highly concentrated. $262.4 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $254.1 m, grants $7.5 m), $22,214 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Benchmark Community Bank | $210.5 m · 24.9% share · 2 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $193.8 m · 22.9% share · 1 office | |
| Carter Bank & Trust | $178.4 m · 21.1% share · 2 offices | |
| Halifax, VA | $262.4 m FY2026 · $22,214/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $249.7 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benchmark Community Bank | $210,520,000 | 24.9% | 2 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $193,750,000 | 22.9% | 1 |
| Carter Bank & Trust | $178,355,000 | 21.1% | 2 |
| Truist Bank | $105,504,000 | 12.5% | 1 |
| Atlantic Union Bank | $78,929,000 | 9.3% | 1 |
| First Horizon Bank | $56,794,000 | 6.7% | 1 |
| First National Bank | $21,126,000 | 2.5% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,887 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 = 24.9² + 22.9² + 21.1² + … (4 more) = 1,887
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 | $219,493,285 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $29,245,663 |
| Department of Transportation | $5,490,133 |
| Department of Agriculture | $2,750,976 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $2,000,000 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $825,163 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $811,320 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $787,507 |
| Department of Defense | $717,273 |
| Department of Justice | $163,123 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $77,090 |
| National Credit Union Administration | $50,000 |
That is $22,214 per covered job, against 11,813 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $262.4 m / 11,813 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $22,214
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 #
Halifax County, VA: 12 findings, 12 noted
noteHalifax County, VA's average weekly wage was 1.6% 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
- +1.6 % = 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
noteHalifax County, VA's typical home value rose 0.3% from $153,605 in July 2026 to $153,994 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.3% = (153994.37298113262 - 153604.77771136945) / 153604.77771136945 × 100
- 153994.37298113262 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 153604.77771136945 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
notetypical asking rent (rent.latest) and typical asking rent (rent.momPct) for Halifax County, VA could not be lined up against the previous published period this run, so no change is printed for them.
Show the arithmetic
- not comparable this run: rent.latest, rent.momPct
the two newest month columns in the published file are not the two this table carries
noteHalifax County, VA's price-to-rent ratio of 9.2 ranks 79th of 79 Virginia counties, against a median of 17.2.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 0 on the 0-to-100 scale across 79 Virginia 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
noteHalifax County, VA's price-to-rent ratio of 9.2 ranks 1,388th of 1,399 US counties, against a median of 17.2.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 1 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
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.