Jefferson County, CO
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 39.58, -105.25.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 96th pct · 105th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 75th pct · 16th of 62 Colorado counties · median $448,803
- 66th pct · 4th of 10 counties in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro · median $541,224
- 11th pct · 2,706th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 26th pct · 46th of 62 Colorado counties · median -0.4%
- 55th pct · 5th of 10 counties in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro · median -1.7%
- 80th pct · 271st of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 50th pct · 17th of 33 Colorado counties · median $1,931
- 42nd pct · 5th of 8 counties in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro · median $1,944
- 95th pct · 140th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 93rd pct · 5th of 64 Colorado counties · median 4,853
- 66th pct · 4th of 10 counties in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro · median 94,239
- 96th pct · 110th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 92nd pct · 6th of 64 Colorado counties · median $1,075
- 55th pct · 5th of 10 counties in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro · median $1,619
- 85th pct · 436th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 54th pct · 29th of 62 Colorado counties · median 6.4
- 44th pct · 6th of 10 counties in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro · median 6.8
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 $606,904 (Sep 2026), -1.6% over one year, +6.4% over five
- 96th pct · 105th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 75th pct · 16th of 62 Colorado counties · median $448,803
- 66th pct · 4th of 10 counties in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro · median $541,224
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, CO | $606,904 · -1.6% 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 $1,931/mo (Sep 2026), +0.1% over one year; price-to-rent 26.2
- 80th pct · 271st of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 50th pct · 17th of 33 Colorado counties · median $1,931
- 42nd pct · 5th of 8 counties in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro · median $1,944
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, CO | $1,931/mo · +0.1% 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 $3,362 a month on $606,904 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $7,596 a month: 44.3% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $606,904 × 80% = $485,524, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $3,362/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,753 × 52 / 12 = $7,596) = 44% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $606,904 / ($1,753 × 52) = 6.7
- price-to-rent = $606,904 / ($1,931 × 12) = 26.2
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 #
240,128 jobs at 26,171 employers (2026 Q1); -2.0% jobs and +6.2% average weekly wage over the year
- 95th pct · 140th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 93rd pct · 5th of 64 Colorado counties · median 4,853
- 66th pct · 4th of 10 counties in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro · median 94,239
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, CO | 240,128 jobs · $1,753/wk · -2.0% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 32,643 | $1,350 | 0.90 | +1.1% |
| Professional and technical services | 28,746 | $2,793 | 1.74 | -2.5% |
| Retail trade | 26,412 | $868 | 1.13 | -5.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 23,391 | $642 | 1.08 | -0.7% |
| Manufacturing | 19,726 | $2,826 | 1.02 | +0.7% |
| Construction | 16,358 | $1,771 | 1.30 | -7.1% |
| Administrative and waste services | 11,584 | $1,216 | 0.85 | -2.3% |
| Other services | 8,436 | $1,103 | 1.18 | -0.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 7,595 | $3,056 | 0.83 | -2.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 7,536 | $2,961 | 0.77 | -1.8% |
| Educational services | 4,045 | $948 | 0.78 | +1.3% |
| Real estate and rental | 3,810 | $1,592 | 1.03 | -1.9% |
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 #
D2 severe 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 #
2 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 2, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| WOLFORD MTN RESERVOIR NR KREMMLING, CO | 18,910 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 116 km |
| TAYLOR PARK RESERVOIR AT TAYLOR PARK, CO. | 52,300 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 145 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 #
209 gauges · 0 flooding · 23 with quality panels averaging 97 % · 86 stale
Sites found: 209, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| TURKEY CREEK NEAR INDIAN HILLS, CO | flow 1.10 ft³/s · STALE | 5 km |
| TURKEY CR. AT MOUTH OF CANYON, NR. MORRISON, CO | flow 13.0 ft³/s · STALE | 6 km |
| Bear Creek (CO) at Evergreen | no flooding | 9 km |
| Bear Creek (CO) at Morrison | no flooding | 9 km |
| BEAR CREEK ABOVE EVERGREEN, CO | flow 11.5 ft³/s | 10 km |
| Bear Creek (CO) above Idledale | observation not current | 10 km |
| TURKEY CREEK ABOVE BEAR CREEK LAKE NEAR MORRISON C | flow 0.39 ft³/s | 10 km |
| BEAR CREEK ABOVE BEAR CREEK LAKE NEAR MORRISON, CO | flow 1.80 ft³/s | 10 km |
| Bear Creek (CO) at Bear Creek Reservoir | no flooding | 12 km |
| South Platte River at Chatfield Reservoir | no flooding | 16 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 #
30 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 30, 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-393040105003201 | level 5,489 ft · 2021-02-16 | 22 km |
| USGS-392235105003001 | level 6,129 ft · 2024-04-10 | 31 km |
| USGS-393252104492101 | level 5,722 ft · 2020-06-18 | 36 km |
| USGS-393259104491001 | level 5,752 ft · 2024-04-12 | 37 km |
| USGS-391929104574101 | level 6,155 ft · 2025-11-19 | 38 km |
| USGS-392916104423601 | level 6,171 ft · 2026-07-15 | 47 km |
| USGS-392934104414901 | level 6,152 ft · 2020-02-20 | 48 km |
| USGS-392412104434201 | level 6,254 ft · 2025-11-19 | 49 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 #
moderate (0.33)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.03 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$16.6 bn in deposits at 118 offices of 23 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,762, moderately concentrated. $5.8 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $3.2 bn, contracts $2.5 bn), $24,324 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| PNC Bank, National Association | $5.1 bn · 30.6% share · 21 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $3.3 bn · 19.8% share · 14 offices | |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $2.2 bn · 13.5% share · 14 offices | |
| Jefferson, CO | $5.8 bn FY2026 · $24,324/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $3.1 bn · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| PNC Bank, National Association | $5,071,338,000 | 30.6% | 21 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $3,283,435,000 | 19.8% | 14 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $2,243,688,000 | 13.5% | 14 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $2,091,118,000 | 12.6% | 13 |
| Solera National Bank | $1,291,233,000 | 7.8% | 1 |
| BMO Bank National Association | $568,447,000 | 3.4% | 11 |
| KeyBank National Association | $396,439,000 | 2.4% | 10 |
| UMB Bank, National Association | $394,330,000 | 2.4% | 6 |
| BOKF, National Association | $215,809,000 | 1.3% | 2 |
| The Huntington National Bank | $173,549,000 | 1.0% | 6 |
Deposit concentration is 1,762 across 23 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 23 banks with deposits in the county = 30.6² + 19.8² + 13.5² + … (20 more) = 1,762
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 | $2,772,839,698 |
| Department of Energy | $1,063,625,003 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $960,673,270 |
| Department of Defense | $233,649,319 |
| Department of the Interior | $175,808,221 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $131,228,546 |
| Department of Transportation | $101,341,332 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $83,774,325 |
| Department of Justice | $79,845,885 |
| Department of Education | $50,098,200 |
| General Services Administration | $48,067,426 |
| Department of Agriculture | $31,651,602 |
That is $24,324 per covered job, against 240,128 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $5.8 bn / 240,128 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $24,324
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 #
Jefferson County, CO: 18 findings, 6 at a watch level and 12 noted
watchJefferson County, CO's price-to-rent ratio of 26.2 ranks 62nd of 1,358 US counties, a watch level here: price-to-rent in the top tenth of US counties (position among the counties that published both ZHVI and ZORI this month; 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: priceToRent percentile = 95.50478997789241 >= 90
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
position among the counties that published both ZHVI and ZORI this month; not an official level
watchJefferson County, CO's covered employment is -2.0% 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 = -2 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchJefferson County, CO's typical home value is -1.6% 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 = -1.6086941921832636 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
watchJefferson County, CO's price-to-rent ratio is 26.2, a watch level here: typical home value worth 25 or more years of typical rent (typical home value / (typical rent × 12), Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month; 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: priceToRent = 26.18738470346412 >= 25
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
typical home value / (typical rent × 12), Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchJefferson County, CO's years of wages of 6.7 scores 86 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 54 across Colorado counties, a gap of 32 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 32 = |86 across US counties - 54 across Colorado 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
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.