Jefferson County, WA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 47.81, -123.53.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 96th pct · 115th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 86th pct · 6th of 39 Washington counties · median $433,836
- 20th pct · 2,445th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 26th pct · 29th of 39 Washington counties · median +0.4%
- 93rd pct · 87th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 100th pct · 1st of 29 Washington counties · median $1,767
- 52nd pct · 1,529th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 31st pct · 27th of 39 Washington counties · median 18,771
- 84th pct · 494th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 60th pct · 16th of 39 Washington counties · median $1,237
- 95th pct · 141st of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 92nd pct · 4th of 39 Washington counties · median 6.7
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 $597,128 (Aug 2026), -0.1% over one year, +8.6% over five
- 96th pct · 115th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 86th pct · 6th of 39 Washington counties · median $433,836
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, WA | $597,128 · -0.1% 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 $2,477/mo (Aug 2026), n/a over one year; price-to-rent 20.1
- 93rd pct · 87th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 100th pct · 1st of 29 Washington counties · median $1,767
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, WA | $2,477/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 $3,268 a month on $597,128 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,629 a month: 58.1% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $597,128 × 80% = $477,703, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $3,268/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,299 × 52 / 12 = $5,629) = 58% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $597,128 / ($1,299 × 52) = 8.8
- price-to-rent = $597,128 / ($2,477 × 12) = 20.1
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 #
9,101 jobs at 1,070 employers (2026 Q1); -0.5% jobs and +10.2% average weekly wage over the year
- 52nd pct · 1,529th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 31st pct · 27th of 39 Washington counties · median 18,771
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, WA | 9,101 jobs · $1,299/wk · -0.5% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,087 | $714 | 1.23 | -4.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 971 | $517 | 1.19 | +0.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 789 | $853 | 0.58 | +0.3% |
| Manufacturing | 650 | $1,938 | 0.89 | -1.8% |
| Construction | 598 | $1,194 | 1.25 | -10.2% |
| Other services | 510 | $1,033 | 1.88 | -4.1% |
| Professional and technical services | 467 | $2,328 | 0.74 | +13.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 206 | $1,233 | 0.59 | +4.0% |
| Educational services | 183 | $745 | 0.93 | -2.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 131 | $1,446 | 0.35 | -3.7% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 120 | $469 | 0.80 | +22.4% |
| Real estate and rental | 104 | $751 | 0.75 | -16.8% |
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 #
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 #
4 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 4, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| WYNOOCHEE LAKE NEAR GRISDALE, WA | 18,260 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 47 km |
| LAKE TAPPS NEAR SUMNER, WA | 40,020 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 118 km |
| MUD MOUNTAIN LAKE NEAR BUCKLEY, WA | 19.5 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 141 km |
| HOWARD A HANSON RESERVOIR NEAR PALMER, WA | 22,490 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 143 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 #
60 gauges · 0 flooding · 26 with quality panels averaging 84 % · 36 stale
Sites found: 60, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| ELWHA RIVER ABOVE LAKE MILLS NR PORT ANGELES, WA | flow 725.0 ft³/s · quality 0 % (1) · STALE | 19 km |
| USGS-473322122390701 | temp 15.6 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 71 km |
| USGS-473317122392101 | temp 14.4 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 71 km |
| USGS-473319122390701 | temp 15.9 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 71 km |
| USGS-473308122393701 | temp 16.8 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 71 km |
| USGS-473316122392401 | temp 16.4 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 71 km |
| USGS-473310122393101 | temp 15.9 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 71 km |
| ELWHA RIVER SITE 1 AT LK MILLS NR PORT ANGELES, WA | flow 678.0 ft³/s · STALE | 19 km |
| HOH RIVER BELOW MT TOM CREEK NEAR FORKS, WA | flow 362.0 ft³/s · STALE | 28 km |
| ELWHA RIVER AT MCDONALD BR NEAR PORT ANGELES, WA | flow 234.0 ft³/s | 28 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 #
low (0.22)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 + 0.2×0.16 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$928.4 m in deposits at 9 offices of 7 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,787, moderately concentrated. $446.8 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $389.0 m, contracts $36.6 m), $49,094 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Security Bank of Washington | $232.5 m · 25.0% share · 2 offices | |
| First Fed Bank | $212.1 m · 22.8% share · 1 office | |
| Heritage Bank | $163.2 m · 17.6% share · 2 offices | |
| Jefferson, WA | $446.8 m FY2026 · $49,094/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $373.0 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Security Bank of Washington | $232,537,000 | 25.0% | 2 |
| First Fed Bank | $212,070,000 | 22.8% | 1 |
| Heritage Bank | $163,166,000 | 17.6% | 2 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $121,799,000 | 13.1% | 1 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $74,451,000 | 8.0% | 1 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $72,499,000 | 7.8% | 1 |
| Sound Community Bank | $51,848,000 | 5.6% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,787 across 7 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 7 banks with deposits in the county = 25.0² + 22.8² + 17.6² + … (4 more) = 1,787
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 | $345,627,328 |
| Department of Defense | $35,958,470 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $26,310,660 |
| Department of Transportation | $18,085,962 |
| Department of the Interior | $14,602,077 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $2,474,233 |
| Department of Agriculture | $1,533,196 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,153,513 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $480,000 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $324,909 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $194,693 |
| Department of Education | $73,258 |
That is $49,094 per covered job, against 9,101 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $446.8 m / 9,101 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $49,094
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 #
Jefferson County, WA: 12 findings, 5 at a watch level and 7 noted
watchJefferson County, WA's years of wages of 8.8 ranks 141st of 3,063 US counties, a watch level here: years of wages in the top tenth of US counties (position among the counties that published both a ZHVI value and a QCEW average weekly wage; 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: yearsOfWages percentile = 95.42782495101241 >= 90
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the counties that published both a ZHVI value and a QCEW average weekly wage; not an official level
watchJefferson County, WA's covered employment is -0.5% 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 = -0.5 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchJefferson County, WA's typical home value is -0.1% 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 = -0.07918534928052677 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
watchJefferson County, WA's typical asking rent rose 3.6% from $2,391 in July 2026 to $2,477 in August 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +3.6% = (2477.361111111111 - 2391.402434128105) / 2391.402434128105 × 100
- 2477.361111111111 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
- 2391.402434128105 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-07
watchJefferson County, WA's price-to-rent ratio of 20.1 scores 74 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 18 across Washington counties, a gap of 56 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 56 = |74 across US counties - 18 across Washington 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
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.