Hampton County, SC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 32.78, -81.14.
Assembled 2026-10-20. Read the brief.
- 20th pct · 2,437th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 17th pct · 38th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $213,114
- 18th pct · 2,505th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 31st pct · 32nd of 46 South Carolina counties · median +1.2%
- US counties: not published this period
- South Carolina counties: not published this period
- 34th pct · 2,125th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 8th pct · 42nd of 46 South Carolina counties · median 18,411
- 35th pct · 2,067th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 31st pct · 32nd of 46 South Carolina counties · median $1,061
- 24th pct · 2,312th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 22nd pct · 36th of 46 South Carolina counties · median 4.0
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 $159,212 (Sep 2026), -0.4% over one year, +5.4% over five
- 20th pct · 2,437th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 17th pct · 38th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $213,114
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Hampton County, SC | $159,212 · -0.4% 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
- South Carolina 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 $882 a month on $159,212 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,225 a month: 20.9% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $159,212 × 80% = $127,370, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $882/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $975 × 52 / 12 = $4,225) = 21% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $159,212 / ($975 × 52) = 3.1
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 #
4,441 jobs at 406 employers (2026 Q1); -5.5% jobs and -1.2% average weekly wage over the year
- 34th pct · 2,125th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 8th pct · 42nd of 46 South Carolina counties · median 18,411
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Hampton County, SC | 4,441 jobs · $975/wk · -5.5% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 600 | $597 | 1.39 | +3.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 581 | $782 | 0.87 | +1.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 352 | $1,275 | 2.07 | +1.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 324 | $1,210 | 10.10 | +3.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 163 | $1,368 | 0.87 | +0.0% |
| Professional and technical services | 119 | $1,483 | 0.39 | -35.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 81 | $901 | 0.45 | +1.2% |
| Educational services | 66 | $503 | 0.69 | +13.8% |
| Utilities | 23 | $2,501 | 1.31 | +0.0% |
| Construction | withheld | |||
| Manufacturing | withheld | |||
| Information | withheld |
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 #
D1 moderate drought
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 #
7 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 7, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| LAKE MARION NEAR ELLOREE, SC | 74.0 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 105 km |
| BUTLER CREEK RESERVOIR AT FORT GORDON, GA | 27.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 114 km |
| LAKE MARION NEAR PINEVILLE, SC | 74.0 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 118 km |
| LAKE MOULTRIE NEAR PINOPOLIS, SC | 73.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 119 km |
| SAVANNAH RVR AT STEVENS CREEK DAM NR MORGANA, SC | 185.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 121 km |
| LK MOULTRIE AT REDIVERSION NR RUSSELLVILLE, SC | 72.6 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 127 km |
| LAKE MURRAY NEAR COLUMBIA, SC | 355.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 142 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 #
92 gauges · 0 flooding · 16 with quality panels averaging 85 % · 43 stale
Sites found: 92, 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-321603080432202 | temp 21.3 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 69 km |
| COLLETON RIVER AT BLUFFTON, SC | stage -4.25 ft · quality 25 % (2) · STALE | 63 km |
| MIDDLE RIVER AT FISH HOLE AT PORT WENTWORTH, GA | flow 7,670 ft³/s · quality 70 % (5) | 71 km |
| SAVANNAH RIVER AT GA 25, AT PORT WENTWORTH, GA | stage -1.14 ft · quality 70 % (5) | 68 km |
| SAVANNAH RIVER AT GARDEN CITY, GA | stage -1.25 ft · quality 80 % (5) | 74 km |
| MIDDLE RIVER AT GA 25 AT PORT WENTWORTH, GA | flow 4,710 ft³/s · quality 70 % (5) | 68 km |
| COOSAWHATCHIE RIVER NEAR HAMPTON, SC | flow 10.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 7 km |
| COOSAWHATCHIE RIVER NR EARLY BRANCH, SC | flow 6.90 ft³/s · STALE | 19 km |
| SALKEHATCHIE RIVER NEAR MILEY, SC | flow 100.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 25 km |
| SAVANNAH RIVER NEAR ESTILL, SC | flow 7,120 ft³/s · STALE | 28 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 #
71 wells in 3 named aquifers: Other aquifers, Floridan aquifer system, Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system
Sites found: 71, 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-323704080594509 | depth 64.2 ft · 2026-10-19 | 23 km |
| USGS-324143080505900 | depth 38.8 ft · 2009-07-01 | 29 km |
| USGS-330130081230301 | depth 90.0 ft · 1995-01-06 | 35 km |
| USGS-330130081230401 | depth 80.1 ft · 1995-04-17 | 35 km |
| USGS-325325081354302 | depth 13.8 ft · 1996-10-08 | 44 km |
| USGS-325325081354303 | depth 13.1 ft · 1996-10-08 | 44 km |
| USGS-325325081354306 | depth -77.0 ft · 1996-09-10 | 44 km |
| USGS-325325081354304 | depth 14.9 ft · 1996-10-08 | 44 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 (0.21)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 + 0.2×0.15 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$359.0 m in deposits at 4 offices of 3 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 4,666, highly concentrated. $131.0 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $127.8 m, contracts $2.7 m), $29,506 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Palmetto State Bank | $217.6 m · 60.6% share · 2 offices | |
| Truist Bank | $108.0 m · 30.1% share · 1 office | |
| Regions Bank | $33.4 m · 9.3% share · 1 office | |
| Hampton, SC | $131.0 m FY2026 · $29,506/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $125.1 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmetto State Bank | $217,634,000 | 60.6% | 2 |
| Truist Bank | $107,984,000 | 30.1% | 1 |
| Regions Bank | $33,377,000 | 9.3% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 4,666 across 3 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 3 banks with deposits in the county = 60.6² + 30.1² + 9.3² = 4,666
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 | $102,156,804 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $22,153,052 |
| Department of Justice | $2,682,889 |
| Department of Agriculture | $1,969,594 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $849,175 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $721,350 |
| Department of Transportation | $279,688 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $261,070 |
| Small Business Administration | -$38,748 |
That is $29,506 per covered job, against 4,441 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $131.0 m / 4,441 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $29,506
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 #
Hampton County, SC: 15 findings, 1 at an alert level, 4 at a watch level and 10 noted
alertHampton County, SC's covered employment is -5.5% against a year earlier, an alert level here: covered employment at least 3 percent below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; 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 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -5.5 <= -3
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchHampton County, SC's covered employment is -5.5% 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 = -5.5 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchHampton County, SC's average weekly wage is -1.2% against a year earlier, a watch level here: average weekly wage below the same quarter a year earlier, before inflation (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; 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 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.avgWeeklyWage = -1.2 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchHampton County, SC's typical home value is -0.4% against a year earlier, a watch level here: typical home value below a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; 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: home.yoyPct = -0.3842240775981784 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
watchHampton County, SC's momentum index is -0.43, a watch level here: momentum index in the cooling band (the cooling band of the momentum index computed here, score at or below -0.25; 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: momentum = -0.4253255556799357 <= -0.25
- 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%)
the cooling band of the momentum index computed here, score at or below -0.25; convention chosen for this dashboard, 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.