Putnam County, WV
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 38.51, -81.91.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 57th pct · 1,300th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 90th pct · 6th of 55 West Virginia counties · median $151,294
- 100th pct · 1st of 8 counties in the Huntington-Ashland metro · median $151,355
- 71st pct · 860th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 87th pct · 8th of 55 West Virginia counties · median +2.6%
- 100th pct · 1st of 8 counties in the Huntington-Ashland metro · median +1.9%
- 17th pct · 1,125th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 66th pct · 6th of 16 West Virginia counties · median $1,066
- counties in the Huntington-Ashland metro: only 2 of counties in the Huntington-Ashland metro published this metric; fewer than 5 is too few to rank
- 73rd pct · 852nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 85th pct · 9th of 55 West Virginia counties · median 5,555
- 71st pct · 3rd of 8 counties in the Huntington-Ashland metro · median 11,177
- 82nd pct · 565th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 90th pct · 6th of 55 West Virginia counties · median $1,076
- 100th pct · 1st of 8 counties in the Huntington-Ashland metro · median $1,051
- 41st pct · 1,798th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 81st pct · 11th of 55 West Virginia counties · median 2.7
- 100th pct · 1st of 8 counties in the Huntington-Ashland metro · median 3.1
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 $252,059 (Sep 2026), +4.8% over one year, +27.4% over five
- 57th pct · 1,300th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 90th pct · 6th of 55 West Virginia counties · median $151,294
- 100th pct · 1st of 8 counties in the Huntington-Ashland metro · median $151,355
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Putnam County, WV | $252,059 · +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 $1,142/mo (Sep 2026), +1.5% over one year; price-to-rent 18.4
- 17th pct · 1,125th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 66th pct · 6th of 16 West Virginia counties · median $1,066
- counties in the Huntington-Ashland metro: only 2 of counties in the Huntington-Ashland metro published this metric; fewer than 5 is too few to rank
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Putnam County, WV | $1,142/mo · +1.5% 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 $1,396 a month on $252,059 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,508 a month: 25.3% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $252,059 × 80% = $201,647, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $1,396/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,271 × 52 / 12 = $5,508) = 25% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $252,059 / ($1,271 × 52) = 3.8
- price-to-rent = $252,059 / ($1,142 × 12) = 18.4
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 #
22,731 jobs at 1,939 employers (2026 Q1); +2.2% jobs and +2.3% average weekly wage over the year
- 73rd pct · 852nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 85th pct · 9th of 55 West Virginia counties · median 5,555
- 71st pct · 3rd of 8 counties in the Huntington-Ashland metro · median 11,177
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Putnam County, WV | 22,731 jobs · $1,271/wk · +2.2% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,295 | $1,749 | 1.80 | +5.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 3,120 | $1,173 | 0.91 | +1.9% |
| Construction | 2,866 | $1,467 | 2.41 | -1.2% |
| Retail trade | 2,423 | $766 | 1.09 | +4.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,739 | $395 | 0.85 | +3.4% |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,399 | $1,264 | 1.08 | +20.4% |
| Professional and technical services | 1,194 | $1,350 | 0.76 | -4.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 1,142 | $1,655 | 1.31 | -4.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 697 | $1,394 | 0.73 | -10.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 492 | $1,905 | 0.53 | +2.9% |
| Utilities | 460 | $3,163 | 5.12 | +0.2% |
| Other services | 434 | $1,029 | 0.64 | +0.2% |
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 #
58 gauges · 0 flooding · 7 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 11 stale
Sites found: 58, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kanawha River below Winfield Locks | no flooding | 2 km |
| HURRICANE CREEK AT HURRICANE, WV | flow 16.4 ft³/s · no flooding | 11 km |
| COAL RIVER AT TORNADO, WV | flow 794.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (2) · no flooding | 20 km |
| MUD RIVER NEAR MILTON, WV | flow 189.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 23 km |
| KANAWHA RIVER AT CHARLESTON, WV | flow 13,700 ft³/s · no flooding | 24 km |
| POCATALICO RIVER AT SISSONVILLE, WV | flow 127.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 24 km |
| ELK RIVER AT CHARLESTON, WV | flow 3,500 ft³/s · quality 100 % (5) | 30 km |
| KANAWHA RIVER AT S SIDE BRIDGE AT CHARLESTON, WV | stage 8.50 ft · no flooding | 30 km |
| ELK RIVER AB ELK TWOMILE CREEK AT CHARLESTON, WV | turb. 9.00 FNU · quality 100 % (5) | 30 km |
| MIDDLE FORK MUD RIVER NEAR GRIFFITHSVILLE, WV | flow 18.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 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 #
7 wells in 1 named aquifer: Alluvial aquifers
Sites found: 7, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Alluvial aquifers | depth 31.2 ft · 2026-10-18 | 26 km |
| USGS-381619081392901 | depth 30.5 ft · 2026-10-18 | 34 km |
| USGS-381447081393101 | depth 17.0 ft · 2017-10-20 | 36 km |
| USGS-385451082062001 | depth 26.0 ft · 1988-02-29 | 48 km |
| USGS-382205082304501 | depth 36.0 ft · 2026-10-18 | 55 km |
| USGS-381513081094201 | depth 11.0 ft · 2001-06-24 | 71 km |
| USGS-375833082212101 | depth 29.5 ft · 2026-10-18 | 71 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 #
$1.7 bn in deposits at 20 offices of 13 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,803, highly concentrated. $407.2 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $381.1 m, grants $24.2 m), $17,915 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Putnam County Bank | $591.0 m · 35.3% share · 4 offices | |
| City National Bank of West Virginia | $257.6 m · 15.4% share · 4 offices | |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $158.4 m · 9.5% share · 1 office | |
| Putnam, WV | $407.2 m FY2026 · $17,915/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $379.4 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County Bank | $590,956,000 | 35.3% | 4 |
| City National Bank of West Virginia | $257,565,000 | 15.4% | 4 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $158,410,000 | 9.5% | 1 |
| Truist Bank | $158,362,000 | 9.5% | 1 |
| The Huntington National Bank | $98,532,000 | 5.9% | 1 |
| The Poca Valley Bank, Inc. | $96,969,000 | 5.8% | 2 |
| Fifth Third Bank, National Association | $96,641,000 | 5.8% | 1 |
| WesBanco Bank, Inc. | $69,390,000 | 4.1% | 1 |
| United Bank | $64,515,000 | 3.9% | 1 |
| Huntington Federal Savings Bank | $31,605,000 | 1.9% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,803 across 13 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 13 banks with deposits in the county = 35.3² + 15.4² + 9.5² + … (10 more) = 1,803
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 | $329,038,547 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $46,991,602 |
| Department of Transportation | $19,350,216 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $4,848,771 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $3,406,952 |
| Department of Agriculture | $1,045,754 |
| Department of Defense | $1,008,623 |
| General Services Administration | $518,775 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $350,388 |
| Department of Justice | $251,896 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $232,354 |
| Department of Education | $188,496 |
That is $17,915 per covered job, against 22,731 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $407.2 m / 22,731 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $17,915
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 #
Putnam County, WV: 19 findings, 5 at a watch level and 14 noted
watchPutnam County, WV's typical asking rent rose 3.8% from $1,099 in August 2026 to $1,142 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +3.8% = (1141.5277777777776 - 1099.370266836249) / 1099.370266836249 × 100
- 1141.5277777777776 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 1099.370266836249 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
watchPutnam County, WV's typical asking rent of $1,142 scores 17 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 67 across West Virginia counties, a gap of 49 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 49 = |17 across US counties - 67 across West Virginia counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchPutnam County, WV's years of wages of 3.8 scores 41 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 81 across West Virginia counties, a gap of 40 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 40 = |41 across US counties - 81 across West Virginia counties|
- 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
watchPutnam County, WV's typical home value of $252,059 scores 58 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 91 across West Virginia counties, a gap of 33 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 33 = |58 across US counties - 91 across West Virginia counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchPutnam County, WV's price-to-rent ratio of 18.4 scores 62 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 93 across West Virginia counties, a gap of 32 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 32 = |62 across US counties - 93 across West Virginia counties|
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
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.