Hamilton County, IA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 42.39, -93.71.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 25th pct · 2,283rd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 29th pct · 70th of 99 Iowa counties · median $192,339
- 55th pct · 1,350th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 38th pct · 61st of 99 Iowa counties · median +4.2%
- US counties: not published this period
- Iowa counties: not published this period
- 39th pct · 1,938th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 46th pct · 53rd of 99 Iowa counties · median 5,685
- 43rd pct · 1,802nd of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 27th pct · 72nd of 99 Iowa counties · median $1,057
- 27th pct · 2,216th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 42nd pct · 57th of 99 Iowa counties · median 3.5
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 $171,544 (Sep 2026), +3.3% over one year, +33.3% over five
- 25th pct · 2,283rd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 29th pct · 70th of 99 Iowa counties · median $192,339
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County, IA | $171,544 · +3.3% 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 #
Zillow publishes no rent index for this area (ZORI covers about 1,400 counties)
- US counties: not published this period
- Iowa counties: not published this period
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 $950 a month on $171,544 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,390 a month: 21.6% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $171,544 × 80% = $137,235, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $950/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,013 × 52 / 12 = $4,390) = 22% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $171,544 / ($1,013 × 52) = 3.3
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 #
5,508 jobs at 478 employers (2026 Q1); -2.3% jobs and +3.5% average weekly wage over the year
- 39th pct · 1,938th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 46th pct · 53rd of 99 Iowa counties · median 5,685
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County, IA | 5,508 jobs · $1,013/wk · -2.3% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 826 | $1,249 | 1.86 | +2.7% |
| Retail trade | 691 | $676 | 1.29 | -4.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 564 | $1,436 | 2.67 | -7.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 233 | $323 | 0.47 | -7.2% |
| Construction | 230 | $883 | 0.80 | -16.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 186 | $1,698 | 0.83 | -5.6% |
| Professional and technical services | 117 | $1,537 | 0.31 | +31.5% |
| Administrative and waste services | 105 | $960 | 0.34 | +2.9% |
| Other services | 91 | $709 | 0.55 | +3.4% |
| Information | 66 | $850 | 0.65 | +0.0% |
| Management of companies | 31 | $1,142 | 0.34 | +3.3% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 24 | $403 | 0.26 | +9.1% |
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 #
No drought class at this point (USDM covers the United States only)
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 #
No reservoir gauges within 150 km (or the camera is above the gauge altitude)
Sites found: 0, 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.
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 #
30 gauges · 0 flooding · 3 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 10 stale
Sites found: 30, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Boone River near Webster City, IA | flow 744.0 ft³/s | 9 km |
| Mud Lake Drainage Ditch 71 at Jewell, IA | stage 81.8 ft | 10 km |
| Lyons Creek near Webster City, IA (L3) | flow 0.00 ft³/s · STALE | 12 km |
| South Fork Iowa River near Blairsburg, IA | flow 0.21 ft³/s · quality 100 % (4) | 20 km |
| Keigley Branch near Story City, IA | stage 83.9 ft | 28 km |
| Des Moines River near Stratford, IA | flow 4,570 ft³/s | 28 km |
| Prairie Creek at Otho, IA (S3) | flow 15.5 ft³/s · STALE | 36 km |
| Bluff Creek at Pilot Mound, IA | stage 81.6 ft | 36 km |
| South Skunk River near Ames, IA | flow 674.0 ft³/s | 37 km |
| White Fox Creek at Clarion, IA | stage 85.5 ft | 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 #
8 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 8, 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-422610093474203 | depth 63.3 ft · 2004-06-15 | 9 km |
| USGS-422610093474202 | depth 52.0 ft · 2004-06-15 | 9 km |
| USGS-424539094152401 | depth 0.48 ft · 2004-05-23 | 61 km |
| USGS-424539094152405 | depth 37.8 ft · 2004-05-25 | 61 km |
| USGS-424539094152402 | depth 37.9 ft · 2004-06-15 | 61 km |
| USGS-424539094152403 | depth 42.1 ft · 2004-05-17 | 61 km |
| USGS-415439093094801 | depth 9.15 ft · 2026-10-18 | 70 km |
| USGS-430159093403201 | depth 11.0 ft · 2017-10-10 | 71 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 #
$661.5 m in deposits at 8 offices of 5 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 3,927, highly concentrated. $114.3 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $99.6 m, grants $13.4 m), $20,759 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| First State Bank | $362.5 m · 54.8% share · 3 offices | |
| Availa Bank | $160.1 m · 24.2% share · 2 offices | |
| WCF Financial Bank | $120.9 m · 18.3% share · 1 office | |
| Hamilton, IA | $114.3 m FY2026 · $20,759/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $87.1 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| First State Bank | $362,532,000 | 54.8% | 3 |
| Availa Bank | $160,095,000 | 24.2% | 2 |
| WCF Financial Bank | $120,875,000 | 18.3% | 1 |
| Security Savings Bank | $11,730,000 | 1.8% | 1 |
| Iowa Falls State Bank | $6,261,000 | 0.9% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 3,927 across 5 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 5 banks with deposits in the county = 54.8² + 24.2² + 18.3² + … (2 more) = 3,927
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 | $78,878,004 |
| Department of Transportation | $13,413,701 |
| Department of Agriculture | $12,463,544 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $8,644,648 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $726,734 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $100,506 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $63,023 |
| National Credit Union Administration | $49,000 |
| Department of Energy | $0 |
That is $20,759 per covered job, against 5,508 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $114.3 m / 5,508 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $20,759
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 #
Hamilton County, IA: 5 findings, 1 at a watch level and 4 noted
watchHamilton County, IA's covered employment is -2.3% 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 = -2.3 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
noteHamilton County, IA's average weekly wage was 3.5% 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
- +3.5 % = 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
noteHamilton County, IA's covered employment was 2.3% 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
- -2.3 % = 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
noteThe next Unemployment rate (BLS Employment Situation, monthly) covering Hamilton County, IA is due between 2026-10-30 and 2026-11-13, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern.
Show the arithmetic
- window = 2026-10-30 to 2026-11-13, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern
estimated from the publisher's past release pattern; not an announced date
noteThe next Zillow ZHVI typical home value (monthly) covering Hamilton County, IA is due between 2026-11-14 and 2026-11-21, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern.
Show the arithmetic
- window = 2026-11-14 to 2026-11-21, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern
estimated from the publisher's past release pattern; not an announced date
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.