Kent County, DE
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 39.10, -75.50.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 82nd pct · 524th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- Delaware counties: Rank context is unavailable: 3 of Delaware counties are in the table, fewer than the 5 a rank needs.
- counties in the Dover metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Dover metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 43rd pct · 1,735th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- Delaware counties: Rank context is unavailable: 3 of Delaware counties are in the table, fewer than the 5 a rank needs.
- counties in the Dover metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Dover metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 71st pct · 390th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- Delaware counties: Rank context is unavailable: 3 of Delaware counties are in the table, fewer than the 5 a rank needs.
- counties in the Dover metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Dover metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 87th pct · 402nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- Delaware counties: Rank context is unavailable: 3 of Delaware counties are in the table, fewer than the 5 a rank needs.
- counties in the Dover metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Dover metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 73rd pct · 840th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- Delaware counties: Rank context is unavailable: 3 of Delaware counties are in the table, fewer than the 5 a rank needs.
- counties in the Dover metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Dover metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 80th pct · 610th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- Delaware counties: Rank context is unavailable: 3 of Delaware counties are in the table, fewer than the 5 a rank needs.
- counties in the Dover metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Dover metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
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 $371,868 (Sep 2026), +2.3% over one year, +28.9% over five
- 82nd pct · 524th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- Delaware counties: Rank context is unavailable: 3 of Delaware counties are in the table, fewer than the 5 a rank needs.
- counties in the Dover metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Dover metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Kent County, DE | $371,868 · +2.3% 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 $1,775/mo (Sep 2026), +4.5% over one year; price-to-rent 17.5
- 71st pct · 390th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- Delaware counties: Rank context is unavailable: 3 of Delaware counties are in the table, fewer than the 5 a rank needs.
- counties in the Dover metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Dover metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Kent County, DE | $1,775/mo · +4.5% 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 $2,060 a month on $371,868 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,113 a month: 40.3% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $371,868 × 80% = $297,494, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $2,060/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,180 × 52 / 12 = $5,113) = 40% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $371,868 / ($1,180 × 52) = 6.1
- price-to-rent = $371,868 / ($1,775 × 12) = 17.5
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 #
68,769 jobs at 6,115 employers (2026 Q1); -2.8% jobs and +3.3% average weekly wage over the year
- 87th pct · 402nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- Delaware counties: Rank context is unavailable: 3 of Delaware counties are in the table, fewer than the 5 a rank needs.
- counties in the Dover metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Dover metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Kent County, DE | 68,769 jobs · $1,180/wk · -2.8% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 11,794 | $1,172 | 1.14 | +0.0% |
| Retail trade | 7,952 | $812 | 1.19 | -1.4% |
| Administrative and waste services | 3,024 | $1,241 | 0.77 | -5.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,559 | $1,130 | 0.88 | -5.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 1,594 | $1,390 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 1,427 | $2,419 | 0.51 | -34.4% |
| Real estate and rental | 437 | $1,175 | 0.41 | -0.9% |
| Educational services | 269 | $950 | 0.18 | +0.0% |
| Utilities | 261 | $2,709 | 0.96 | +0.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | withheld | |||
| Mining, oil and gas | withheld | |||
| Construction | 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 #
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 #
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 |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-01574700 | 373.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 141 km |
| Blue Marsh Lake near Bernville, PA | 288.1 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 150 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 #
103 gauges · 0 flooding · 48 with quality panels averaging 88 % · 48 stale
Sites found: 103, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Alloway Creek at Hancocks Bridge NJ | temp 21.9 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 46 km |
| Cohansey River at Greenwich NJ | temp 17.5 °C · quality 50 % (2) | 34 km |
| USGS-01483511 | temp 15.8 °C · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 18 km |
| USGS-384428075355701 | DO 5.90 mg/l · quality 75 % (4) · STALE | 40 km |
| USGS-384526075091601 | DO 4.10 mg/l · quality 63 % (4) · STALE | 48 km |
| Maurice R at Mauricetown NJ | temp 17.5 °C · quality 50 % (2) | 49 km |
| USGS-01484080 | flow -2,150 ft³/s · quality 67 % (3) | 10 km |
| DELAWARE RIVER AT DEL MEM BRIDGE AT WILMINGTON DE | flow -377,000 ft³/s · quality 67 % (3) | 66 km |
| APPOQUINIMINK RIVER NEAR ODESSA, DE | DO 7.40 mg/l · quality 75 % (4) | 42 km |
| C AND D CANAL NR DELAWARE CITY, DE | flow 8,000 ft³/s · quality 50 % (2) | 52 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 #
121 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 121, 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-390757075294101 | depth 27.7 ft · 2025-11-13 | 4 km |
| USGS-390804075293501 | depth 29.1 ft · 2024-09-30 | 4 km |
| USGS-390723075284601 | depth 26.3 ft · 2024-09-30 | 4 km |
| USGS-390808075293901 | depth 25.4 ft · 2025-11-13 | 4 km |
| USGS-390808075293801 | depth 25.5 ft · 2025-11-13 | 4 km |
| USGS-390822075292902 | depth 15.1 ft · 2024-09-30 | 5 km |
| USGS-390822075292901 | depth 15.1 ft · 2024-09-30 | 5 km |
| USGS-390825075295601 | depth 25.5 ft · 2025-11-13 | 5 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 (0.05)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.12 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$3.0 bn in deposits at 25 offices of 11 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,782, moderately concentrated. $1.8 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $1.4 bn, grants $252.3 m), $25,545 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB | $942.1 m · 31.0% share · 5 offices | |
| Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | $565.5 m · 18.6% share · 4 offices | |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $454.1 m · 14.9% share · 3 offices | |
| Kent, DE | $1.8 bn FY2026 · $25,545/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $1.3 bn · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB | $942,081,000 | 31.0% | 5 |
| Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | $565,466,000 | 18.6% | 4 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $454,106,000 | 14.9% | 3 |
| Shore United Bank, National Association | $288,197,000 | 9.5% | 3 |
| Citizens Bank, National Association | $271,527,000 | 8.9% | 3 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $191,435,000 | 6.3% | 1 |
| TD Bank, National Association | $183,756,000 | 6.0% | 1 |
| Artisans' Bank | $76,198,000 | 2.5% | 1 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $40,765,000 | 1.3% | 1 |
| First Citizens Community Bank | $19,377,000 | 0.6% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,782 across 11 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 11 banks with deposits in the county = 31.0² + 18.6² + 14.9² + … (8 more) = 1,782
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 | $1,012,106,264 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $245,805,883 |
| Department of Education | $206,087,002 |
| Department of Defense | $127,642,495 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $37,822,541 |
| Department of Transportation | $34,669,314 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $20,720,331 |
| Department of Agriculture | $18,047,564 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $12,078,965 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $10,096,205 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $7,962,985 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $7,191,328 |
That is $25,545 per covered job, against 68,769 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $1.8 bn / 68,769 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $25,545
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 #
Kent County, DE: 8 findings, 1 at a watch level and 7 noted
watchKent County, DE's covered employment is -2.8% 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 = -2.8 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
noteKent County, DE's average weekly wage was 3.3% 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
- +3.3 % = 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
noteKent County, DE's covered employment was 2.8% 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
- -2.8 % = 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
noteKent County, DE's typical asking rent rose 1.0% from $1,757 in August 2026 to $1,775 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +1.0% = (1775.1950464396286 - 1757.0974980584306) / 1757.0974980584306 × 100
- 1775.1950464396286 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 1757.0974980584306 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
noteKent County, DE's typical home value rose 0.3% from $370,902 in August 2026 to $371,868 in September 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +0.3% = (371867.8251777313 - 370901.594112101) / 370901.594112101 × 100
- 371867.8251777313 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-09
- 370901.594112101 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
Read all 8 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.