Ottawa County, MI
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 43.05, -86.22.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 85th pct · 432nd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 91st pct · 8th of 83 Michigan counties · median $225,043
- 100th pct · 1st of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median $301,131
- 72nd pct · 832nd of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 43rd pct · 47th of 83 Michigan counties · median +5.3%
- 25th pct · 4th of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median +5.0%
- 66th pct · 460th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 82nd pct · 8th of 40 Michigan counties · median $1,387
- counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro: only 4 of counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro published this metric; fewer than 5 is too few to rank
- 92nd pct · 250th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 91st pct · 8th of 83 Michigan counties · median 12,414
- 75th pct · 2nd of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median 19,841
- 74th pct · 822nd of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 79th pct · 18th of 83 Michigan counties · median $1,045
- 75th pct · 2nd of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median $1,022
- 83rd pct · 491st of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 91st pct · 8th of 83 Michigan counties · median 4.0
- 100th pct · 1st of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median 5.5
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 $397,062 (Sep 2026), +4.8% over one year, +29.7% over five
- 85th pct · 432nd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 91st pct · 8th of 83 Michigan counties · median $225,043
- 100th pct · 1st of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median $301,131
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County, MI | $397,062 · +4.8% 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 $1,713/mo (Sep 2026), +3.3% over one year; price-to-rent 19.3
- 66th pct · 460th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 82nd pct · 8th of 40 Michigan counties · median $1,387
- counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro: only 4 of counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro published this metric; fewer than 5 is too few to rank
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County, MI | $1,713/mo · +3.3% 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 $2,199 a month on $397,062 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,126 a month: 42.9% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $397,062 × 80% = $317,650, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $2,199/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,183 × 52 / 12 = $5,126) = 43% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $397,062 / ($1,183 × 52) = 6.5
- price-to-rent = $397,062 / ($1,713 × 12) = 19.3
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 #
126,916 jobs at 7,112 employers (2026 Q1); -0.7% jobs and +2.7% average weekly wage over the year
- 92nd pct · 250th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 91st pct · 8th of 83 Michigan counties · median 12,414
- 75th pct · 2nd of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro · median 19,841
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County, MI | 126,916 jobs · $1,183/wk · -0.7% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 36,741 | $1,513 | 3.60 | -4.0% |
| Retail trade | 10,685 | $737 | 0.86 | +2.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 10,514 | $481 | 0.92 | -3.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 10,042 | $877 | 0.53 | +4.8% |
| Construction | 6,903 | $1,277 | 1.04 | +5.7% |
| Administrative and waste services | 6,477 | $772 | 0.90 | +2.8% |
| Other services | 4,626 | $867 | 1.22 | +3.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 4,541 | $1,706 | 0.93 | -8.9% |
| Professional and technical services | 4,328 | $1,479 | 0.49 | -3.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 3,242 | $765 | 3.54 | -1.1% |
| Educational services | 3,020 | $812 | 1.11 | +0.7% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,758 | $1,348 | 0.52 | +0.3% |
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 #
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 #
$6.1 bn in deposits at 61 offices of 15 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,690, moderately concentrated. $1.8 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $1.7 bn, contracts $41.9 m), $14,057 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| The Huntington National Bank | $1.4 bn · 22.6% share · 12 offices | |
| Macatawa Bank, National Association | $1.3 bn · 21.6% share · 15 offices | |
| Fifth Third Bank, National Association | $1.2 bn · 20.2% share · 9 offices | |
| Ottawa, MI | $1.8 bn FY2026 · $14,057/job |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Huntington National Bank | $1,386,251,000 | 22.6% | 12 |
| Macatawa Bank, National Association | $1,325,782,000 | 21.6% | 15 |
| Fifth Third Bank, National Association | $1,238,060,000 | 20.2% | 9 |
| West Michigan Community Bank | $891,631,000 | 14.5% | 6 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $521,270,000 | 8.5% | 4 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $178,792,000 | 2.9% | 3 |
| Flagstar Bank, National Association | $161,544,000 | 2.6% | 2 |
| ChoiceOne Bank | $120,937,000 | 2.0% | 2 |
| Independent Bank | $89,873,000 | 1.5% | 1 |
| Horizon Bank | $56,405,000 | 0.9% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,690 across 15 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 15 banks with deposits in the county = 22.6² + 21.6² + 20.2² + … (12 more) = 1,690
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 | $1,528,285,705 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $109,650,098 |
| Department of Education | $59,353,740 |
| Department of Defense | $24,097,487 |
| Department of Transportation | $18,259,659 |
| Department of Justice | $11,803,736 |
| Department of Agriculture | $8,874,993 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $8,084,058 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $4,426,183 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $4,280,472 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $2,415,766 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $2,065,285 |
That is $14,057 per covered job, against 126,916 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $1.8 bn / 126,916 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $14,057
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 #
Ottawa County, MI: 14 findings, 1 at a watch level and 13 noted
watchOttawa County, MI'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
noteOttawa County, MI's average weekly wage was 2.7% 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
- +2.7 % = 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
noteOttawa County, MI'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
noteOttawa County, MI's typical home value rose 0.4% from $395,638 in August 2026 to $397,062 in September 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +0.4% = (397062.2463059697 - 395637.95678080776) / 395637.95678080776 × 100
- 397062.2463059697 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-09
- 395637.95678080776 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
noteOttawa County, MI's typical home value of $397,062 ranks 1st of 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro, against a median of $301,131.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 100 on the 0-to-100 scale across 5 counties in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro that published home.latest
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.