Butler County, KS
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 37.77, -96.84.
Assembled 2026-10-20. Read the brief.
- 56th pct · 1,331st of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 90th pct · 11th of 105 Kansas counties · median $148,146
- counties in the Wichita metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 4 counties in the Wichita metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 60th pct · 1,205th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 47th pct · 56th of 105 Kansas counties · median +4.1%
- counties in the Wichita metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 4 counties in the Wichita metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 23rd pct · 1,041st of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 55th pct · 9th of 19 Kansas counties · median $1,215
- counties in the Wichita metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 4 counties in the Wichita metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 71st pct · 914th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 90th pct · 11th of 105 Kansas counties · median 2,554
- counties in the Wichita metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 4 counties in the Wichita metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 40th pct · 1,909th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 69th pct · 32nd of 105 Kansas counties · median $943
- counties in the Wichita metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 4 counties in the Wichita metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 62nd pct · 1,159th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 89th pct · 12th of 105 Kansas counties · median 3.0
- counties in the Wichita metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 4 counties in the Wichita 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 $249,619 (Sep 2026), +3.7% over one year, +30.3% over five
- 56th pct · 1,331st of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 90th pct · 11th of 105 Kansas counties · median $148,146
- counties in the Wichita metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 4 counties in the Wichita metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Butler County, KS | $249,619 · +3.7% 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 $1,227/mo (Sep 2026), +6.1% over one year; price-to-rent 17.0
- 23rd pct · 1,041st of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 55th pct · 9th of 19 Kansas counties · median $1,215
- counties in the Wichita metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 4 counties in the Wichita metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Butler County, KS | $1,227/mo · +6.1% 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 $1,383 a month on $249,619 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,325 a month: 32.0% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $249,619 × 80% = $199,695, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $1,383/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $998 × 52 / 12 = $4,325) = 32% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $249,619 / ($998 × 52) = 4.8
- price-to-rent = $249,619 / ($1,227 × 12) = 17.0
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 #
20,321 jobs at 1,696 employers (2026 Q1); +1.7% jobs and +4.4% average weekly wage over the year
- 71st pct · 914th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 90th pct · 11th of 105 Kansas counties · median 2,554
- counties in the Wichita metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 4 counties in the Wichita metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Butler County, KS | 20,321 jobs · $998/wk · +1.7% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 3,224 | $816 | 1.05 | +2.3% |
| Retail trade | 2,046 | $702 | 1.03 | -1.5% |
| Manufacturing | 1,962 | $1,891 | 1.20 | +3.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,707 | $382 | 0.93 | +1.5% |
| Construction | 1,491 | $1,226 | 1.40 | +15.0% |
| Professional and technical services | 679 | $1,507 | 0.48 | +9.7% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 658 | $1,315 | 0.77 | +6.1% |
| Administrative and waste services | 626 | $1,042 | 0.54 | -4.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 498 | $1,428 | 0.64 | -13.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 485 | $1,311 | 0.59 | -2.0% |
| Other services | 446 | $811 | 0.73 | +9.0% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 235 | $530 | 0.70 | +9.3% |
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 #
5 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 5, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CHENEY RE NR CHENEY, KS | 153,800 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 84 km |
| MELVERN LK NR MELVERN, KS | 164,700 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 128 km |
| KANOPOLIS LK NR KANOPOLIS, KS | 60,030 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 135 km |
| MILFORD LAKE NR JUNCTION CITY, KS | 397,200 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 145 km |
| POMONA LK NR QUENEMO, KS | 57,660 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 148 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 #
41 gauges · 0 flooding · 9 with quality panels averaging 89 % · 10 stale
Sites found: 41, 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-375327097285402 | DO 0.20 mg/l · quality 63 % (4) · STALE | 58 km |
| USGS-375332097284802 | DO 0.20 mg/l · quality 75 % (4) · STALE | 58 km |
| WALNUT R AT HWY 54 E OF EL DORADO, KS | flow 375.0 ft³/s · STALE | 5 km |
| WB WALNUT R NR EL DORADO, KS | flow 3.97 ft³/s | 6 km |
| WHITEWATER R AT TOWANDA, KS | flow 21.1 ft³/s | 16 km |
| WHITEWATER R AT AUGUSTA, KS | stage 3.63 ft | 17 km |
| ROCK C NR POTWIN, KS | flow 2.30 ft³/s · STALE | 19 km |
| GYPSUM C AT OLIVER ST, WICHITA, KS | stage 8.57 ft | 41 km |
| USGS-373622097153900 | stage 3.10 ft · STALE | 42 km |
| ARKANSAS R AT WICHITA, KS | flow 155.0 ft³/s | 46 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-374956097231601 | level 1,330 ft · 2017-01-19 | 49 km |
| USGS-375259097252901 | level 1,344 ft · 2026-10-19 | 53 km |
| USGS-375332097284802 | level 1,359 ft · 2015-05-31 | 58 km |
| USGS-375332097284801 | level 1,360 ft · 2015-05-31 | 58 km |
| USGS-375327097285402 | level 1,360 ft · 2015-05-31 | 58 km |
| USGS-375327097285401 | level 1,354 ft · 2026-10-19 | 58 km |
| USGS-375814097324702 | level 1,390 ft · 2017-01-22 | 66 km |
| USGS-375814097324701 | level 1,390 ft · 2017-01-22 | 66 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 (0.20)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 + 0.2×0.11 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.8 bn in deposits at 29 offices of 12 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,358, moderately concentrated. $467.9 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $429.5 m, contracts $25.3 m), $23,027 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Intrust Bank, National Association | $469.3 m · 26.2% share · 4 offices | |
| Equity Bank | $237.6 m · 13.3% share · 3 offices | |
| Emprise Bank | $210.0 m · 11.7% share · 4 offices | |
| Butler, KS | $467.9 m FY2026 · $23,027/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $399.9 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intrust Bank, National Association | $469,285,000 | 26.2% | 4 |
| Equity Bank | $237,620,000 | 13.3% | 3 |
| Emprise Bank | $209,962,000 | 11.7% | 4 |
| Andover State Bank | $177,694,000 | 9.9% | 1 |
| Commerce Bank | $170,260,000 | 9.5% | 1 |
| Community National Bank & Trust | $162,114,000 | 9.0% | 4 |
| Vintage Bank Kansas | $103,807,000 | 5.8% | 6 |
| Bank of America, National Association | $90,834,000 | 5.1% | 1 |
| Citizens Bank of Kansas | $77,626,000 | 4.3% | 2 |
| Capitol Federal Savings Bank | $46,257,000 | 2.6% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,358 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 = 26.2² + 13.3² + 11.7² + … (9 more) = 1,358
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 | $342,001,259 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $54,565,135 |
| Department of Agriculture | $19,444,693 |
| Department of Defense | $18,718,972 |
| Department of Transportation | $12,128,873 |
| Department of Education | $7,352,244 |
| Department of the Interior | $6,590,631 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $3,495,119 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $2,162,276 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $1,187,245 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $207,569 |
| Corporation for National and Community Service | $113,500 |
That is $23,027 per covered job, against 20,321 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $467.9 m / 20,321 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $23,027
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 | 17.40 | 2026-10-19 | -3.1% |
| 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 | 2026-10-20 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 255,129.00 | 2026-09-01 | -1.4% |
| 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 | 1,221.00 | 2026-09-01 | -5.2% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,400.00 | 2026-09-01 | -0.2% |
| 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 #
Butler County, KS: 11 findings, 2 at a watch level and 9 noted
watchButler County, KS' typical home value of $249,619 scores 57 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 90 across Kansas counties, a gap of 34 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 34 = |57 across US counties - 90 across Kansas counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchButler County, KS' typical asking rent of $1,227 scores 23 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 56 across Kansas counties, a gap of 32 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 32 = |23 across US counties - 56 across Kansas counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteButler County, KS' average weekly wage was 4.4% 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
- +4.4 % = 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
noteButler County, KS' covered employment was 1.7% 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
- +1.7 % = 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
noteButler County, KS' typical asking rent rose 1.1% from $1,214 in August 2026 to $1,227 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +1.1% = (1226.7877492877494 - 1213.7978712880702) / 1213.7978712880702 × 100
- 1226.7877492877494 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 1213.7978712880702 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
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.