Webster County, IA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 42.43, -94.18.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 12th pct · 2,679th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 5th pct · 94th of 99 Iowa counties · median $192,339
- 30th pct · 2,132nd of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 10th pct · 89th of 99 Iowa counties · median +4.2%
- 0th pct · 1,347th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 9th pct · 20th of 22 Iowa counties · median $1,052
- 67th pct · 1,045th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 83rd pct · 17th of 99 Iowa counties · median 5,685
- 70th pct · 963rd of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 76th pct · 24th of 99 Iowa counties · median $1,057
- 8th pct · 2,809th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 5th pct · 94th 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 $138,265 (Sep 2026), +1.1% over one year, +9.6% over five
- 12th pct · 2,679th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 5th pct · 94th of 99 Iowa counties · median $192,339
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Webster County, IA | $138,265 · +1.1% 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 $782/mo (Sep 2026), +8.9% over one year; price-to-rent 14.7
- 0th pct · 1,347th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 9th pct · 20th of 22 Iowa counties · median $1,052
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Webster County, IA | $782/mo · +8.9% 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 $766 a month on $138,265 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,979 a month: 15.4% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $138,265 × 80% = $110,612, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $766/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,149 × 52 / 12 = $4,979) = 15% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $138,265 / ($1,149 × 52) = 2.3
- price-to-rent = $138,265 / ($782 × 12) = 14.7
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 #
16,928 jobs at 1,160 employers (2026 Q1); -0.7% jobs and +2.9% average weekly wage over the year
- 67th pct · 1,045th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 83rd pct · 17th of 99 Iowa counties · median 5,685
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Webster County, IA | 16,928 jobs · $1,149/wk · -0.7% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2,646 | $1,738 | 1.94 | +0.9% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,533 | $1,268 | 0.99 | +2.1% |
| Retail trade | 2,245 | $650 | 1.36 | -1.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,384 | $348 | 0.91 | -2.0% |
| Construction | 1,270 | $1,383 | 1.43 | +3.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 924 | $1,132 | 1.30 | -12.5% |
| Administrative and waste services | 425 | $1,078 | 0.44 | -2.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 372 | $1,529 | 0.54 | +1.1% |
| Other services | 355 | $1,117 | 0.70 | -4.8% |
| Professional and technical services | 316 | $1,245 | 0.27 | -1.9% |
| Information | 232 | $1,273 | 0.74 | -4.9% |
| Educational services | 224 | $738 | 0.62 | +13.7% |
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 #
67 gauges · 0 flooding · 3 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 12 stale
Sites found: 67, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Prairie Creek at Otho, IA (S3) | flow 15.5 ft³/s · STALE | 4 km |
| Des Moines River at Fort Dodge, IA | flow 2,190 ft³/s · no flooding | 9 km |
| Lizard Creek near Fort Dodge, IA | stage 6.19 ft | 12 km |
| Des Moines River near Fort Dodge Hwy D14--IFC | no readings | 13 km |
| Des Moines River near Stratford, IA | flow 4,590 ft³/s · no flooding | 25 km |
| Boone River near Webster City, IA | flow 750.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 30 km |
| Des Moines River at Humboldt, IA | flow 855.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 32 km |
| East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, IA | flow 869.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 32 km |
| Bluff Creek at Pilot Mound, IA | stage 81.6 ft | 32 km |
| Lyons Creek near Webster City, IA (L3) | flow 0.00 ft³/s · STALE | 34 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 #
6 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 6, 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 | 31 km |
| USGS-422610093474202 | depth 52.0 ft · 2004-06-15 | 31 km |
| USGS-424539094152401 | depth 0.48 ft · 2004-05-23 | 37 km |
| USGS-424539094152405 | depth 37.8 ft · 2004-05-25 | 37 km |
| USGS-424539094152402 | depth 37.9 ft · 2004-06-15 | 37 km |
| USGS-424539094152403 | depth 42.1 ft · 2004-05-17 | 37 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 #
$980.2 m in deposits at 13 offices of 8 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,856, highly concentrated. $254.9 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $243.2 m, grants $11.5 m), $15,058 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Bank | $327.8 m · 33.4% share · 1 office | |
| First Interstate Bank | $153.6 m · 15.7% share · 2 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $141.4 m · 14.4% share · 1 office | |
| Webster, IA | $254.9 m FY2026 · $15,058/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $205.4 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Bank | $327,766,000 | 33.4% | 1 |
| First Interstate Bank | $153,615,000 | 15.7% | 2 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $141,414,000 | 14.4% | 1 |
| Availa Bank | $107,772,000 | 11.0% | 1 |
| Security Savings Bank | $69,632,000 | 7.1% | 4 |
| First State Bank | $64,267,000 | 6.6% | 1 |
| Heartland Bank | $61,689,000 | 6.3% | 2 |
| United Bank of Iowa | $54,079,000 | 5.5% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,856 across 8 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 8 banks with deposits in the county = 33.4² + 15.7² + 14.4² + … (5 more) = 1,856
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 | $185,645,784 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $17,735,724 |
| Department of Agriculture | $12,961,646 |
| Department of Education | $11,611,299 |
| Department of Transportation | $11,573,232 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $6,276,073 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $6,176,234 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $2,016,041 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $700,810 |
| Department of Defense | $211,299 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
| Department of Justice | -$2,728 |
That is $15,058 per covered job, against 16,928 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $254.9 m / 16,928 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $15,058
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 #
Webster County, IA: 14 findings, 2 at a watch level and 12 noted
watchWebster County, IA's typical asking rent is +8.9% against a year earlier, a watch level here: typical asking rent at least 8 percent above a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZORI; convention chosen for this dashboard, 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: rent.yoyPct = 8.896453677381617 >= 8
arithmetic on Zillow ZORI; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchWebster County, IA's covered employment is -0.7% 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 = -0.7 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
noteWebster County, IA's typical asking rent rose 2.9% from $759 in August 2026 to $782 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +2.9% = (781.6111111111112 - 759.340085358709) / 759.340085358709 × 100
- 781.6111111111112 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 759.340085358709 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
noteWebster County, IA's average weekly wage was 2.9% 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
- +2.9 % = 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
noteWebster County, IA's covered employment was 0.7% 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
- -0.7 % = 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
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.