Nevada County, CA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 39.30, -120.77.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 96th pct · 101st of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 63rd pct · 22nd of 58 California counties · median $494,569
- 27th pct · 2,209th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 57th pct · 25th of 58 California counties · median +0.4%
- 97th pct · 37th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 76th pct · 12th of 48 California counties · median $2,448
- 79th pct · 661st of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 38th pct · 36th of 58 California counties · median 74,865
- 92nd pct · 230th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 78th pct · 13th of 58 California counties · median $1,206
- 92nd pct · 230th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 59th pct · 24th of 58 California counties · median 7.2
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 $610,265 (Sep 2026), +0.8% over one year, -1.2% over five
- 96th pct · 101st of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 63rd pct · 22nd of 58 California counties · median $494,569
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada County, CA | $610,265 · +0.8% 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 $2,912/mo (Sep 2026), +2.9% over one year; price-to-rent 17.5
- 97th pct · 37th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 76th pct · 12th of 48 California counties · median $2,448
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada County, CA | $2,912/mo · +2.9% 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 $3,380 a month on $610,265 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $6,522 a month: 51.8% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $610,265 × 80% = $488,212, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $3,380/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,505 × 52 / 12 = $6,522) = 52% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $610,265 / ($1,505 × 52) = 7.8
- price-to-rent = $610,265 / ($2,912 × 12) = 17.5
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 #
34,954 jobs at 4,733 employers (2026 Q1); +0.9% jobs and +21.7% average weekly wage over the year
- 79th pct · 661st of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 38th pct · 36th of 58 California counties · median 74,865
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada County, CA | 34,954 jobs · $1,505/wk · +0.9% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 5,568 | $1,102 | 1.06 | +5.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,059 | $696 | 1.29 | +0.9% |
| Retail trade | 3,919 | $837 | 1.15 | -2.0% |
| Construction | 3,329 | $4,390 | 1.82 | +1.4% |
| Other services | 2,158 | $960 | 2.07 | +0.5% |
| Professional and technical services | 1,671 | $1,804 | 0.69 | -3.9% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 1,626 | $743 | 2.83 | -5.1% |
| Manufacturing | 1,199 | $1,271 | 0.43 | +5.5% |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,041 | $1,026 | 0.52 | +2.3% |
| Educational services | 734 | $757 | 0.98 | +5.2% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 617 | $858 | 0.42 | +12.8% |
| Real estate and rental | 574 | $1,610 | 1.07 | -2.9% |
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 #
D0 abnormally dry
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 #
11 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 11, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| DONNER LK NR TRUCKEE CA | 6,801 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 42 km |
| INDEPENDENCE LK NR TRUCKEE CA | 14,920 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 45 km |
| PROSSER C RES NR TRUCKEE CA | 12,660 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 55 km |
| BOCA RES NR TRUCKEE CA | 11,830 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 59 km |
| STAMPEDE RES NR BOCA CA | 142,000 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 60 km |
| MARLETTE LAKE NR CARSON CITY, NV | 18.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 76 km |
| TOPAZ LAKE NR TOPAZ, CA | 82.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 127 km |
| DONNELL LK NR DARDANELLE CA | 17,960 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 129 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 #
57 gauges · 0 flooding · 18 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 12 stale
Sites found: 57, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Middle Fork Yuba River at Our House | no readings | 23 km |
| South Fork Yuba River at Jones Bar | no readings | 29 km |
| N YUBA R BL GOODYEARS BAR CA | flow 116.0 ft³/s | 29 km |
| Oregon Creek Below Log Cabin Dam | no readings | 29 km |
| North Fork of Middle Fork American River - Foresthill | observation not current | 31 km |
| Middle Fork American River near Foresthill | no readings | 32 km |
| Rubicon River - Foresthill | no readings | 33 km |
| Middle Fork American River Above Middle Fork Power Plant | no readings | 34 km |
| PERAZZO C NR SODA SPRINGS CA | stage 4.22 ft | 37 km |
| PILOT C BL MUTTON CANYON NR GEORGETOWN CA | flow 2.36 ft³/s · STALE | 43 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 #
17 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 17, 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-390744120091910 | depth -0.87 ft · 2016-06-26 | 56 km |
| USGS-390810120090710 | depth -1.67 ft · 2016-06-26 | 56 km |
| USGS-390807120090801 | depth 3.98 ft · 2020-10-06 | 56 km |
| USGS-390807120090802 | depth 2.62 ft · 2020-10-07 | 56 km |
| USGS-390807120090803 | depth 1.42 ft · 2020-10-06 | 56 km |
| USGS-390807120090715 | depth -0.49 ft · 2020-10-06 | 56 km |
| USGS-390807120090705 | depth -0.55 ft · 2020-10-06 | 56 km |
| USGS-390746120091710 | depth -1.69 ft · 2016-06-26 | 56 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 #
low (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$2.5 bn in deposits at 21 offices of 11 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,455, moderately concentrated. $1.0 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $787.8 m, grants $140.0 m), $29,097 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $551.9 m · 22.0% share · 3 offices | |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $476.9 m · 19.0% share · 3 offices | |
| Bank of America, National Association | $467.1 m · 18.6% share · 2 offices | |
| Nevada, CA | $1.0 bn FY2026 · $29,097/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $782.1 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $551,877,000 | 22.0% | 3 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $476,933,000 | 19.0% | 3 |
| Bank of America, National Association | $467,150,000 | 18.6% | 2 |
| Tri Counties Bank | $294,599,000 | 11.7% | 3 |
| BMO Bank National Association | $154,558,000 | 6.2% | 2 |
| Plumas Bank | $123,339,000 | 4.9% | 1 |
| El Dorado Savings Bank, F.S.B. | $115,575,000 | 4.6% | 2 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $113,565,000 | 4.5% | 1 |
| Westamerica Bank | $88,526,000 | 3.5% | 2 |
| River Valley Community Bank | $72,729,000 | 2.9% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,455 across 11 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 11 banks with deposits in the county = 22.0² + 19.0² + 18.6² + … (8 more) = 1,455
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 | $712,335,304 |
| Department of Transportation | $130,380,999 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $69,471,267 |
| Department of Defense | $67,844,289 |
| Department of Agriculture | $26,014,636 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $4,380,046 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $2,397,874 |
| Department of the Interior | $1,097,776 |
| Department of Justice | $1,069,282 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $800,851 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $745,965 |
| Department of Education | $185,548 |
That is $29,097 per covered job, against 34,954 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $1.0 bn / 34,954 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $29,097
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 | 17.95 | 2026-10-18 | -2.6% |
| 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 · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-19 | +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 | 7.00 | 2026-10-13 | +133.3% |
| 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 | 101.91 | 2026-10-14 | +1.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.40 | 2026-10-15 | +0.0% |
| 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 | 652,115.00 | 2026-09-01 | +0.7% |
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 #
Nevada County, CA: 14 findings, 5 at a watch level and 9 noted
watchNevada County, CA's years of wages of 7.8 ranks 230th 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 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- test: yearsOfWages percentile = 92.52122795558458 >= 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
watchNevada County, CA's covered employment of 34,954 scores 80 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 39 across California counties, a gap of 41 points.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 41 = |80 across US counties - 39 across California counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchNevada County, CA's typical home value of $610,265 scores 97 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 63 across California counties, a gap of 34 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 34 = |97 across US counties - 63 across California counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchNevada County, CA's years of wages of 7.8 scores 93 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 60 across California counties, a gap of 33 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 33 = |93 across US counties - 60 across California counties|
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchNevada County, CA's typical home value of +0.8% scores 28 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 58 across California counties, a gap of 30 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 30 = |28 across US counties - 58 across California counties|
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.