Bennington County, VT
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 43.04, -73.11.
Assembled 2026-10-20. Read the brief.
- 83rd pct · 515th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 53rd pct · 7th of 14 Vermont counties · median $371,639
- 29th pct · 2,172nd of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 46th pct · 8th of 14 Vermont counties · median +1.0%
- 55th pct · 600th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 12th pct · 8th of 9 Vermont counties · median $1,741
- 66th pct · 1,073rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 61st pct · 6th of 14 Vermont counties · median 15,575
- 76th pct · 771st of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 61st pct · 6th of 14 Vermont counties · median $1,183
- 79th pct · 624th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 53rd pct · 7th of 14 Vermont counties · median 5.8
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 $374,684 (Sep 2026), +0.9% over one year, +15.0% over five
- 83rd pct · 515th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 53rd pct · 7th of 14 Vermont counties · median $371,639
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bennington County, VT | $374,684 · +0.9% 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 $1,580/mo (Sep 2026), +5.5% over one year; price-to-rent 19.8
- 55th pct · 600th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 12th pct · 8th of 9 Vermont counties · median $1,741
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bennington County, VT | $1,580/mo · +5.5% 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 $2,075 a month on $374,684 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,200 a month: 39.9% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $374,684 × 80% = $299,748, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $2,075/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,200 × 52 / 12 = $5,200) = 40% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $374,684 / ($1,200 × 52) = 6.0
- price-to-rent = $374,684 / ($1,580 × 12) = 19.8
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 #
16,224 jobs at 1,997 employers (2026 Q1); -1.8% jobs and -2.1% average weekly wage over the year
- 66th pct · 1,073rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 61st pct · 6th of 14 Vermont counties · median 15,575
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bennington County, VT | 16,224 jobs · $1,200/wk · -1.8% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 2,969 | $1,382 | 1.22 | -4.2% |
| Retail trade | 2,473 | $865 | 1.56 | -4.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,708 | $648 | 1.17 | +4.1% |
| Manufacturing | 1,614 | $1,203 | 1.24 | -6.7% |
| Educational services | 1,150 | $1,003 | 3.29 | -6.7% |
| Professional and technical services | 607 | $2,590 | 0.54 | +6.3% |
| Construction | 580 | $1,179 | 0.68 | +0.0% |
| Administrative and waste services | 550 | $1,489 | 0.60 | +5.2% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 508 | $646 | 1.90 | +12.4% |
| Other services | 392 | $703 | 0.81 | -1.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 267 | $2,724 | 0.40 | +2.3% |
| Information | 235 | $2,272 | 0.79 | +0.0% |
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 #
D0 abnormally dry
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 #
68 gauges · 0 flooding · 11 with quality panels averaging 99 % · 11 stale
Sites found: 68, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Battenkill at Arlington | observation not current | 6 km |
| USGS-01334000 | flow 85.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 18 km |
| USGS-01334500 | flow 438.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 24 km |
| USGS-01329490 | flow 255.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 27 km |
| USGS-01329500 | flow 623.0 ft³/s · STALE | 27 km |
| USGS-01155500 | flow 171.0 ft³/s | 29 km |
| USGS-01155910 | flow 232.0 ft³/s | 33 km |
| USGS-01333000 | flow 31.1 ft³/s | 37 km |
| USGS-01332000 | flow 55.8 ft³/s | 37 km |
| USGS-01332500 | flow 133.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 37 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 #
21 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 21, 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-430120073232201 | depth 14.3 ft · 2026-10-18 | 23 km |
| USGS-431030073192101 | depth 7.37 ft · 2026-10-18 | 23 km |
| USGS-425432073233401 | depth 15.8 ft · 2026-10-18 | 27 km |
| USGS-424250072493101 | depth 20.4 ft · 2019-04-30 | 43 km |
| USGS-424249072493101 | depth 27.7 ft · 2026-10-19 | 43 km |
| USGS-423503073075401 | depth 4.52 ft · 2026-10-19 | 50 km |
| USGS-431357073425301 | level 337.2 ft · 2022-10-04 | 54 km |
| USGS-423810072435401 | depth 17.2 ft · 2026-10-19 | 54 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 + 0.2×0.01 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.1 bn in deposits at 16 offices of 8 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,358, highly concentrated. $305.8 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $274.1 m, grants $29.3 m), $18,850 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| The Bank of Bennington | $451.8 m · 40.3% share · 4 offices | |
| TD Bank, National Association | $186.6 m · 16.6% share · 2 offices | |
| Beacon Bank and Trust | $168.6 m · 15.0% share · 3 offices | |
| Bennington, VT | $305.8 m FY2026 · $18,850/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $267.2 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bank of Bennington | $451,779,000 | 40.3% | 4 |
| TD Bank, National Association | $186,551,000 | 16.6% | 2 |
| Beacon Bank and Trust | $168,634,000 | 15.0% | 3 |
| Community Bank, National Association | $113,859,000 | 10.2% | 2 |
| Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | $103,796,000 | 9.3% | 2 |
| Citizens Bank, National Association | $70,887,000 | 6.3% | 1 |
| TrustCo Bank | $18,718,000 | 1.7% | 1 |
| The Brattleboro Savings and Loan Association | $7,157,000 | 0.6% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,358 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 = 40.3² + 16.6² + 15.0² + … (5 more) = 2,358
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 | $250,500,395 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $24,257,843 |
| Department of Transportation | $15,862,974 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $4,443,746 |
| National Science Foundation | $3,473,739 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $2,007,863 |
| Department of Education | $1,783,424 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $1,573,318 |
| Department of Agriculture | $804,390 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $613,124 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $503,884 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
That is $18,850 per covered job, against 16,224 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $305.8 m / 16,224 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $18,850
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 #
Bennington County, VT: 11 findings, 3 at a watch level and 8 noted
watchBennington County, VT's average weekly wage is -2.1% 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 = -2.1 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchBennington County, VT's covered employment is -1.8% 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 = -1.8 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchBennington County, VT's typical asking rent of $1,580 scores 56 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 13 across Vermont counties, a gap of 43 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 43 = |56 across US counties - 13 across Vermont counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteBennington County, VT's average weekly wage was 2.1% 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
- -2.1 % = 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
noteBennington County, VT's covered employment was 1.8% 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
- -1.8 % = 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 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.