Pickens County, GA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 34.46, -84.49.
Assembled 2026-10-20. Read the brief.
- 85th pct · 448th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 89th pct · 18th of 159 Georgia counties · median $215,610
- 71st pct · 9th of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median $340,765
- 34th pct · 2,016th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 33rd pct · 106th of 159 Georgia counties · median +2.5%
- 78th pct · 7th of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median -0.4%
- 84th pct · 217th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 82nd pct · 13th of 69 Georgia counties · median $1,701
- 78th pct · 6th of 24 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median $1,822
- 54th pct · 1,454th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 65th pct · 56th of 159 Georgia counties · median 7,095
- 28th pct · 21st of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median 31,378
- 78th pct · 707th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 87th pct · 21st of 159 Georgia counties · median $964
- 67th pct · 10th of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median $1,138
- 81st pct · 562nd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 81st pct · 30th of 159 Georgia counties · median 4.2
- 57th pct · 13th of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median 5.6
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 $392,212 (Sep 2026), +1.5% over one year, +25.1% over five
- 85th pct · 448th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 89th pct · 18th of 159 Georgia counties · median $215,610
- 71st pct · 9th of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median $340,765
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Pickens County, GA | $392,212 · +1.5% 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 $2,011/mo (Sep 2026), n/a over one year; price-to-rent 16.3
- 84th pct · 217th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 82nd pct · 13th of 69 Georgia counties · median $1,701
- 78th pct · 6th of 24 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median $1,822
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Pickens County, GA | $2,011/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 $2,172 a month on $392,212 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,274 a month: 41.2% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $392,212 × 80% = $313,769, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $2,172/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,217 × 52 / 12 = $5,274) = 41% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $392,212 / ($1,217 × 52) = 6.2
- price-to-rent = $392,212 / ($2,011 × 12) = 16.3
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 #
9,819 jobs at 985 employers (2026 Q1); +5.0% jobs and +6.7% average weekly wage over the year
- 54th pct · 1,454th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 65th pct · 56th of 159 Georgia counties · median 7,095
- 28th pct · 21st of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median 31,378
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Pickens County, GA | 9,819 jobs · $1,217/wk · +5.0% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,735 | $2,078 | 1.17 | +8.0% |
| Retail trade | 1,440 | $778 | 1.50 | +7.5% |
| Construction | 759 | $1,263 | 1.47 | -5.4% |
| Manufacturing | 746 | $1,882 | 0.94 | -14.0% |
| Other services | 448 | $807 | 1.53 | -2.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 271 | $1,269 | 0.72 | +54.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 249 | $1,402 | 0.62 | +0.0% |
| Administrative and waste services | 242 | $987 | 0.43 | +0.0% |
| Real estate and rental | 117 | $926 | 0.78 | +0.0% |
| Unclassified | 49 | $1,453 | 2.35 | +88.5% |
| Information | 29 | $1,388 | 0.16 | +3.6% |
| Educational services | 18 | $603 | 0.09 | -5.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| CARTERS LAKE NEAR CARTERS, GA | 1,072 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 24 km |
| CARTERS RE-REGULATION LAKE NEAR CARTERS, GA | 33.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 25 km |
| ALLATOONA LAKE NEAR CARTERSVILLE, GA | 834.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 39 km |
| LAKE SIDNEY LANIER NEAR BUFORD, GA | 1,063 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 50 km |
| CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER AT MORGAN FALLS DAM, GA | 864.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 55 km |
| RANDY POYNTER LAKE AT SPILLWAY, NEAR MILSTEAD, GA | 732.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 96 km |
| LAKE KEDRON NEAR PEACHTREE CITY, GA | 834.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 115 km |
| LAKE PEACHTREE HEADWATER AT PEACHTREE CITY, GA | 784.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 119 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 #
143 gauges · 0 flooding · 45 with quality panels averaging 99 % · 15 stale
Sites found: 143, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| SCARECORN CREEK ABOVE HINTON, GA | flow 8.10 ft³/s · STALE | 6 km |
| SCARECORN CREEK AT HINTON, GA | flow 38.0 ft³/s · STALE | 9 km |
| FAUSETT CREEK NEAR TALKING ROCK, GA | flow 2.75 ft³/s · no flooding | 13 km |
| TALKING ROCK CREEK NEAR HINTON, GA | flow 34.6 ft³/s · no flooding | 13 km |
| Long Swamp Creek near Nelson | out of service | 16 km |
| TALKING ROCK CREEK NEAR OAKMAN, GA | stage 3.25 ft | 17 km |
| SHARP MTN CREEK AT OLD GA 5, BELOW BALL GROUND, GA | flow 13.4 ft³/s · no flooding | 18 km |
| HICKORY LOG CREEK NEAR CANTON, GA | flow 5.98 ft³/s · no flooding | 21 km |
| ETOWAH RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF I-575, AT CANTON, GA | flow 210.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 23 km |
| SHOAL CREEK AT GA 108, NEAR WALESKA, GA | flow 3.71 ft³/s · no flooding | 24 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 #
45 wells in 0 named aquifers:
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 |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-341913084325301 | depth -1.05 ft · 2008-04-29 | 16 km |
| USGS-342922084511601 | depth 25.0 ft · 2026-10-19 | 34 km |
| USGS-342125084083301 | depth 31.1 ft · 2026-10-06 | 34 km |
| USGS-335612084312901 | depth 5.10 ft · 2008-04-22 | 58 km |
| USGS-335612084312902 | depth 22.6 ft · 2026-10-19 | 58 km |
| USGS-335605084312801 | depth 7.45 ft · 2000-07-05 | 58 km |
| USGS-335605084312102 | depth 11.8 ft · 2000-04-03 | 58 km |
| USGS-335605084312101 | depth 9.88 ft · 1999-10-31 | 58 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 + 0.2×0.01 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.2 bn in deposits at 9 offices of 7 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,555, highly concentrated. $305.7 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $301.9 m, grants $3.6 m), $31,129 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Community Bank of Pickens County | $537.8 m · 44.4% share · 2 offices | |
| Renasant Bank | $163.8 m · 13.5% share · 2 offices | |
| United Community Bank | $156.6 m · 12.9% share · 1 office | |
| Pickens, GA | $305.7 m FY2026 · $31,129/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $300.9 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Bank of Pickens County | $537,826,000 | 44.4% | 2 |
| Renasant Bank | $163,824,000 | 13.5% | 2 |
| United Community Bank | $156,558,000 | 12.9% | 1 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $124,012,000 | 10.2% | 1 |
| Bank OZK | $101,285,000 | 8.4% | 1 |
| Regions Bank | $68,749,000 | 5.7% | 1 |
| Pinnacle Bank | $58,053,000 | 4.8% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,555 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 = 44.4² + 13.5² + 12.9² + … (4 more) = 2,555
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 | $271,819,030 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $27,502,549 |
| Department of Transportation | $2,526,563 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,394,747 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $1,240,725 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $615,958 |
| Department of Agriculture | $414,972 |
| Department of Justice | $136,608 |
| Department of Defense | $13,229 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
| Federal Communications Commission | -$8,073 |
That is $31,129 per covered job, against 9,819 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $305.7 m / 9,819 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $31,129
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 | 17.40 | 2026-10-19 | -3.1% |
| 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 · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-20 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 255,129.00 | 2026-09-01 | -1.4% |
| 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 | 1,221.00 | 2026-09-01 | -5.2% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,400.00 | 2026-09-01 | -0.2% |
| 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 #
Pickens County, GA: 9 findings, 9 noted
notePickens County, GA's average weekly wage was 6.7% 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
- +6.7 % = 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
notePickens County, GA's covered employment was 5.0% 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 % = 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
notetypical asking rent (rent.latest) and typical asking rent (rent.momPct) for Pickens County, GA 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
notePickens County, GA's momentum index of 0.70 ranks 187th of 3,221 US counties, against a median of 0.23.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 94 on the 0-to-100 scale across 3221 US counties that published momentum
- momentum = Σ wᵢ · clip(changeᵢ / scaleᵢ, −1, 1) / Σ wᵢ over the terms present; weights and scales: home value 1-yr change 0.3 (±10%), rent 1-yr change 0.15 (±10%), jobs over-the-year change 0.3 (±3%), avg weekly wage over-the-year change 0.25 (±6%)
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
notePickens County, GA's covered employment of +5.0% ranks 195th of 3,221 US counties, against a median of -0.2%.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 94 on the 0-to-100 scale across 3221 US counties that published jobs.yoy.emp
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 9 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.