Bedford County, VA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 37.31, -79.53.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 79th pct · 614th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 59th pct · 55th of 133 Virginia counties · median $309,231
- 100th pct · 1st of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median $273,460
- 66th pct · 1,017th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 75th pct · 34th of 133 Virginia counties · median +2.8%
- 75th pct · 2nd of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median +2.2%
- 52nd pct · 642nd of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 24th pct · 54th of 71 Virginia counties · median $1,806
- counties in the Lynchburg metro: only 4 of counties in the Lynchburg metro published this metric; fewer than 5 is too few to rank
- 69th pct · 973rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 69th pct · 41st of 133 Virginia counties · median 9,944
- 50th pct · 3rd of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median 18,773
- 39th pct · 1,930th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 40th pct · 80th of 133 Virginia counties · median $1,048
- 50th pct · 3rd of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median $995
- 87th pct · 393rd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 71st pct · 38th of 133 Virginia counties · median 5.4
- 100th pct · 1st of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median 5.3
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 $351,809 (Sep 2026), +4.2% over one year, +31.2% over five
- 79th pct · 614th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 59th pct · 55th of 133 Virginia counties · median $309,231
- 100th pct · 1st of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median $273,460
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford County, VA | $351,809 · +4.2% 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 $1,534/mo (Sep 2026), +4.3% over one year; price-to-rent 19.1
- 52nd pct · 642nd of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 24th pct · 54th of 71 Virginia counties · median $1,806
- counties in the Lynchburg metro: only 4 of counties in the Lynchburg metro published this metric; fewer than 5 is too few to rank
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford County, VA | $1,534/mo · +4.3% 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 $1,949 a month on $351,809 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,312 a month: 45.2% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $351,809 × 80% = $281,447, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $1,949/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $995 × 52 / 12 = $4,312) = 45% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $351,809 / ($995 × 52) = 6.8
- price-to-rent = $351,809 / ($1,534 × 12) = 19.1
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 #
18,773 jobs at 2,322 employers (2026 Q1); +1.9% jobs and +4.6% average weekly wage over the year
- 69th pct · 973rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 69th pct · 41st of 133 Virginia counties · median 9,944
- 50th pct · 3rd of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro · median 18,773
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford County, VA | 18,773 jobs · $995/wk · +1.9% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 2,537 | $719 | 1.39 | +1.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,517 | $1,012 | 0.89 | +3.0% |
| Manufacturing | 1,855 | $1,331 | 1.23 | +0.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,416 | $393 | 0.84 | -4.1% |
| Construction | 1,408 | $1,232 | 1.43 | +7.7% |
| Professional and technical services | 1,026 | $1,105 | 0.79 | -3.3% |
| Other services | 970 | $827 | 1.73 | +3.6% |
| Administrative and waste services | 860 | $716 | 0.81 | -3.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 755 | $1,594 | 1.05 | +5.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 466 | $1,930 | 0.61 | +8.4% |
| Real estate and rental | 426 | $1,371 | 1.48 | +1.2% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 354 | $479 | 1.15 | +4.1% |
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 #
3 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 3, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| LITTLE RIVER RESERVOIR NEAR RADFORD, VA | 231.0 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 96 km |
| HYCO LAKE AT DAM NR ROXBORO, NC | 7.92 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 99 km |
| AFTERBAY RESERVOIR AT DAM NR MCGEHEES MILL, NC | 364.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 100 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 #
76 gauges · 0 flooding · 32 with quality panels averaging 99 % · 26 stale
Sites found: 76, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| ROANOKE RIVER AT THIRTEENTH ST BR AT ROANOKE, VA | stage 3.12 ft · quality 80 % (5) · STALE | 35 km |
| GOOSE CREEK AT RT 747 NEAR BUNKER HILL, VA | flow 52.2 ft³/s · STALE | 7 km |
| BIG OTTER RIVER NEAR BEDFORD, VA | flow 53.1 ft³/s · STALE | 11 km |
| GOOSE CREEK NEAR HUDDLESTON, VA | flow 33.1 ft³/s | 15 km |
| BIG OTTER RIVER NEAR EVINGTON, VA | flow 34.9 ft³/s | 23 km |
| JAMES RIVER AT BUCHANAN, VA | flow 924.0 ft³/s | 28 km |
| JAMES RIVER AT BLUE RIDGE PKWY NR BIG ISLAND, VA | flow 1,260 ft³/s | 30 km |
| ROANOKE RIVER AT NIAGARA, VA | flow 222.0 ft³/s | 31 km |
| ROANOKE RIVER AT ALTAVISTA, VA | flow 419.0 ft³/s | 31 km |
| JAMES RIVER AT HOLCOMB ROCK, VA | flow 1,040 ft³/s | 31 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 #
12 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 12, 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-372543079295402 | depth 18.0 ft · 2026-10-18 | 13 km |
| USGS-372543079295403 | depth 10.6 ft · 2026-10-18 | 13 km |
| USGS-372543079295401 | depth 15.3 ft · 2011-10-16 | 13 km |
| USGS-372150079422301 | depth 41.7 ft · 2026-10-18 | 17 km |
| USGS-372224079423601 | depth 12.7 ft · 2026-10-18 | 18 km |
| USGS-371653079552101 | depth 18.7 ft · 2026-10-18 | 35 km |
| USGS-373758079271601 | depth 28.2 ft · 2026-10-18 | 36 km |
| USGS-372603079553301 | depth 30.6 ft · 2026-10-18 | 38 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 (0.16)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 + 0.2×0.01 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.9 bn in deposits at 20 offices of 12 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,208, moderately concentrated. $660.1 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $631.8 m, grants $19.7 m), $35,160 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Union Bank | $337.7 m · 18.0% share · 3 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $280.2 m · 14.9% share · 1 office | |
| Select Bank | $272.5 m · 14.5% share · 2 offices | |
| Bedford, VA | $660.1 m FY2026 · $35,160/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $625.8 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Union Bank | $337,728,000 | 18.0% | 3 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $280,176,000 | 14.9% | 1 |
| Select Bank | $272,469,000 | 14.5% | 2 |
| The First Bank and Trust Company | $219,960,000 | 11.7% | 1 |
| Truist Bank | $205,088,000 | 10.9% | 2 |
| Bank of the James | $198,858,000 | 10.6% | 2 |
| Pinnacle Bank | $99,220,000 | 5.3% | 1 |
| Carter Bank & Trust | $91,567,000 | 4.9% | 2 |
| First National Bank | $71,973,000 | 3.8% | 2 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $53,646,000 | 2.9% | 2 |
Deposit concentration is 1,208 across 12 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 12 banks with deposits in the county = 18.0² + 14.9² + 14.5² + … (9 more) = 1,208
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 | $544,698,987 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $60,247,820 |
| Department of Transportation | $25,042,873 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $22,678,936 |
| Department of Agriculture | $4,556,199 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $912,368 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $714,571 |
| Department of Justice | $529,939 |
| Department of the Interior | $337,595 |
| Department of Defense | $188,489 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $95,400 |
| Department of the Treasury | $47,392 |
That is $35,160 per covered job, against 18,773 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $660.1 m / 18,773 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $35,160
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 #
Bedford County, VA: 9 findings, 9 noted
noteBedford County, VA's average weekly wage was 4.6% 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
- +4.6 % = 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
noteBedford County, VA's covered employment was 1.9% 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
- +1.9 % = 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
noteBedford County, VA's typical asking rent rose 1.3% from $1,513 in August 2026 to $1,534 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +1.3% = (1533.5238095238094 - 1513.1886079213182) / 1513.1886079213182 × 100
- 1533.5238095238094 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 1513.1886079213182 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
noteBedford County, VA's typical home value of $351,809 ranks 1st of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro, against a median of $273,460.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 100 on the 0-to-100 scale across 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro that published home.latest
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteBedford County, VA's years of wages of 6.8 ranks 1st of 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro, against a median of 5.3.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 100 on the 0-to-100 scale across 5 counties in the Lynchburg metro that published yearsOfWages
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 9 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.