Story County, IA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 42.04, -93.47.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 68th pct · 963rd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 91st pct · 9th of 99 Iowa counties · median $192,339
- counties in the Ames metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Ames metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 47th pct · 1,598th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 28th pct · 71st of 99 Iowa counties · median +4.2%
- counties in the Ames metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Ames metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 24th pct · 1,022nd of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 71st pct · 7th of 22 Iowa counties · median $1,052
- counties in the Ames metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Ames metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 83rd pct · 547th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 91st pct · 9th of 99 Iowa counties · median 5,685
- counties in the Ames metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Ames metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 85th pct · 470th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 92nd pct · 8th of 99 Iowa counties · median $1,057
- counties in the Ames metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Ames metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 51st pct · 1,472nd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 77th pct · 23rd of 99 Iowa counties · median 3.5
- counties in the Ames metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Ames metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
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 $292,064 (Sep 2026), +2.7% over one year, +20.2% over five
- 68th pct · 963rd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 91st pct · 9th of 99 Iowa counties · median $192,339
- counties in the Ames metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Ames metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Story County, IA | $292,064 · +2.7% 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 $1,245/mo (Sep 2026), +2.9% over one year; price-to-rent 19.5
- 24th pct · 1,022nd of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 71st pct · 7th of 22 Iowa counties · median $1,052
- counties in the Ames metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Ames metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Story County, IA | $1,245/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 $1,618 a month on $292,064 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,659 a month: 28.6% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $292,064 × 80% = $233,651, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $1,618/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,306 × 52 / 12 = $5,659) = 29% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $292,064 / ($1,306 × 52) = 4.3
- price-to-rent = $292,064 / ($1,245 × 12) = 19.5
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 #
45,943 jobs at 3,017 employers (2026 Q1); -2.2% jobs and +2.3% average weekly wage over the year
- 83rd pct · 547th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 91st pct · 9th of 99 Iowa counties · median 5,685
- counties in the Ames metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Ames metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Story County, IA | 45,943 jobs · $1,306/wk · -2.2% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 5,095 | $647 | 1.14 | -2.6% |
| Manufacturing | 4,781 | $1,632 | 1.29 | -2.9% |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,631 | $1,232 | 0.67 | +0.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,346 | $390 | 1.05 | -2.4% |
| Professional and technical services | 2,420 | $2,365 | 0.76 | -0.7% |
| Construction | 1,761 | $1,373 | 0.73 | -6.4% |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,659 | $891 | 0.64 | -1.3% |
| Other services | 1,041 | $1,009 | 0.76 | -9.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 1,031 | $1,933 | 0.59 | -6.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 859 | $2,111 | 0.46 | -1.0% |
| Real estate and rental | 841 | $1,040 | 1.19 | +2.6% |
| Management of companies | 624 | $4,022 | 0.81 | -9.0% |
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 #
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 #
Surface water layer not loaded
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 #
Surface water layer not loaded
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 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 (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 / 0.35
Banks & federal dollars #
$3.1 bn in deposits at 37 offices of 21 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,056, moderately concentrated. $775.2 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $455.2 m, grants $177.4 m), $16,874 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| First National Bank, Ames, Iowa | $674.3 m · 21.7% share · 3 offices | |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $353.0 m · 11.4% share · 2 offices | |
| South Story Bank & Trust | $346.8 m · 11.2% share · 4 offices | |
| Story, IA | $775.2 m FY2026 · $16,874/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $412.2 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| First National Bank, Ames, Iowa | $674,339,000 | 21.7% | 3 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $352,964,000 | 11.4% | 2 |
| South Story Bank & Trust | $346,766,000 | 11.2% | 4 |
| Availa Bank | $328,935,000 | 10.6% | 2 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $267,015,000 | 8.6% | 1 |
| VISIONBANK OF IOWA | $184,380,000 | 5.9% | 4 |
| State Bank & Trust Co. | $174,330,000 | 5.6% | 1 |
| Bankers Trust Company | $168,105,000 | 5.4% | 1 |
| First Interstate Bank | $136,747,000 | 4.4% | 3 |
| Reliance State Bank | $100,893,000 | 3.2% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,056 across 21 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 21 banks with deposits in the county = 21.7² + 11.4² + 11.2² + … (18 more) = 1,056
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 | $376,561,147 |
| Department of Agriculture | $125,725,360 |
| Department of Energy | $92,930,190 |
| Department of Transportation | $44,117,549 |
| National Science Foundation | $35,654,537 |
| Department of Education | $34,668,759 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $32,636,029 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $20,226,860 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $3,071,941 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $2,673,817 |
| Department of Commerce | $2,361,266 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $1,708,520 |
That is $16,874 per covered job, against 45,943 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $775.2 m / 45,943 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $16,874
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 #
Story County, IA: 11 findings, 2 at a watch level and 9 noted
watchStory County, IA's covered employment is -2.2% 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 = -2.2 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchStory County, IA's typical asking rent of $1,245 scores 25 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 71 across Iowa counties, a gap of 47 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 47 = |25 across US counties - 71 across Iowa counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteStory County, IA's average weekly wage was 2.3% 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
- +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
noteStory County, IA's covered employment was 2.2% 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
- -2.2 % = 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
noteStory County, IA's typical asking rent rose 0.4% from $1,240 in August 2026 to $1,245 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +0.4% = (1245.1228956228956 - 1239.6815719015462) / 1239.6815719015462 × 100
- 1245.1228956228956 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 1239.6815719015462 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
Read all 11 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.