McPherson County, KS
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 38.40, -97.65.
Assembled 2026-10-20. Read the brief.
- 45th pct · 1,663rd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 83rd pct · 18th of 105 Kansas counties · median $148,146
- 42nd pct · 1,746th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 28th pct · 75th of 105 Kansas counties · median +4.1%
- US counties: not published this period
- Kansas counties: not published this period
- 66th pct · 1,075th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 87th pct · 14th of 105 Kansas counties · median 2,554
- 81st pct · 597th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 95th pct · 6th of 105 Kansas counties · median $943
- 30th pct · 2,134th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 62nd pct · 40th of 105 Kansas counties · median 3.0
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 $220,505 (Sep 2026), +2.3% over one year, +21.5% over five
- 45th pct · 1,663rd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 83rd pct · 18th of 105 Kansas counties · median $148,146
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| McPherson County, KS | $220,505 · +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 #
Zillow publishes no rent index for this area (ZORI covers about 1,400 counties)
- US counties: not published this period
- Kansas counties: not published this period
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 $1,221 a month on $220,505 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,443 a month: 22.4% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $220,505 × 80% = $176,404, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $1,221/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,256 × 52 / 12 = $5,443) = 22% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $220,505 / ($1,256 × 52) = 3.4
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 #
16,166 jobs at 975 employers (2026 Q1); -4.0% jobs and -0.8% average weekly wage over the year
- 66th pct · 1,075th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 87th pct · 14th of 105 Kansas counties · median 2,554
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| McPherson County, KS | 16,166 jobs · $1,256/wk · -4.0% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5,432 | $1,739 | 4.18 | -2.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,186 | $850 | 0.90 | -3.6% |
| Retail trade | 1,129 | $649 | 0.72 | -4.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,112 | $342 | 0.77 | +8.3% |
| Construction | 716 | $1,178 | 0.84 | -29.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 650 | $2,087 | 0.99 | +0.6% |
| Educational services | 521 | $740 | 1.50 | -2.8% |
| Professional and technical services | 456 | $1,502 | 0.41 | +4.6% |
| Other services | 409 | $710 | 0.85 | -16.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 329 | $2,833 | 0.53 | -6.5% |
| Information | 82 | $1,551 | 0.28 | -15.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 81 | $656 | 0.69 | +32.8% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| KANOPOLIS LK NR KANOPOLIS, KS | 60,030 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 36 km |
| CHENEY RE NR CHENEY, KS | 153,800 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 76 km |
| WILSON LK NR WILSON, KS | 196,200 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 97 km |
| MILFORD LAKE NR JUNCTION CITY, KS | 397,200 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 100 km |
| TUTTLE C LK NR MANHATTAN, KS | 381,100 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 132 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 #
42 gauges · 0 flooding · 12 with quality panels averaging 85 % · 9 stale
Sites found: 42, 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 |
| SMOKY HILL R AT ENTERPRISE, KS | flow 454.0 ft³/s · quality 50 % (2) · no flooding | 73 km |
| USGS-375332097284802 | DO 0.20 mg/l · quality 75 % (4) · STALE | 58 km |
| SMOKY HILL R AT LINDSBORG, KS | flow 148.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 19 km |
| L ARKANSAS R AT ALTA MILLS, KS | flow 2.90 ft³/s · no flooding | 32 km |
| GYPSUM C NR GYPSUM, KS | flow 10.2 ft³/s | 32 km |
| NF COTTONWOOD R NR DURHAM, KS | flow 6.40 ft³/s | 35 km |
| SMOKY HILL R NR MENTOR, KS | flow 150.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 36 km |
| SMOKY HILL R NR LANGLEY, KS | flow 144.0 ft³/s · quality 83 % (3) | 36 km |
| L ARKANSAS R AT HWY 50 NR HALSTEAD, KS | flow 9.01 ft³/s · quality 90 % (5) · no flooding | 42 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 #
13 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 13, 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-380643097353001 | level 1,394 ft · 2017-01-16 | 32 km |
| USGS-375954097363802 | level 1,412 ft · 2016-12-01 | 44 km |
| USGS-375954097363801 | level 1,420 ft · 2016-12-01 | 44 km |
| USGS-375814097324702 | level 1,390 ft · 2017-01-22 | 48 km |
| USGS-375814097324701 | level 1,390 ft · 2017-01-22 | 48 km |
| USGS-375642097385305 | level 1,428 ft · 2017-01-22 | 50 km |
| USGS-375642097385304 | level 1,428 ft · 2017-01-22 | 50 km |
| USGS-375332097284802 | level 1,359 ft · 2015-05-31 | 58 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 (0.21)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 + 0.2×0.15 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.2 bn in deposits at 22 offices of 11 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,384, highly concentrated. $206.9 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $202.3 m, grants $4.3 m), $12,797 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Peoples Bank and Trust Company | $498.1 m · 42.2% share · 4 offices | |
| The Citizens State Bank | $213.5 m · 18.1% share · 5 offices | |
| The Farmers State Bank | $158.1 m · 13.4% share · 4 offices | |
| McPherson, KS | $206.9 m FY2026 · $12,797/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $184.5 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peoples Bank and Trust Company | $498,056,000 | 42.2% | 4 |
| The Citizens State Bank | $213,517,000 | 18.1% | 5 |
| The Farmers State Bank | $158,133,000 | 13.4% | 4 |
| First Bank Kansas | $72,231,000 | 6.1% | 2 |
| Sunflower Bank, National Association | $47,386,000 | 4.0% | 1 |
| The Bank of Tescott | $44,089,000 | 3.7% | 1 |
| Community National Bank & Trust | $37,569,000 | 3.2% | 1 |
| Emprise Bank | $31,121,000 | 2.6% | 1 |
| The State Bank of Canton, Canton, Kansas | $28,374,000 | 2.4% | 1 |
| Marquette Farmers State Bank of Marquette | $28,183,000 | 2.4% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,384 across 11 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 11 banks with deposits in the county = 42.2² + 18.1² + 13.4² + … (8 more) = 2,384
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 | $167,538,283 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $15,560,413 |
| Department of Agriculture | $11,063,008 |
| Department of Education | $6,263,624 |
| Department of Transportation | $1,906,049 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $1,792,565 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,303,522 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $737,765 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $412,790 |
| Department of Defense | $295,253 |
| Department of Justice | $0 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
That is $12,797 per covered job, against 16,166 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $206.9 m / 16,166 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $12,797
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 #
McPherson County, KS: 14 findings, 1 at an alert level, 5 at a watch level and 8 noted
alertMcPherson County, KS' covered employment is -4.0% against a year earlier, an alert level here: covered employment at least 3 percent below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; 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 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -4 <= -3
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchMcPherson County, KS' covered employment is -4.0% 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 = -4 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchMcPherson County, KS' average weekly wage is -0.8% against a year earlier, a watch level here: average weekly wage below the same quarter a year earlier, before inflation (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; 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 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.avgWeeklyWage = -0.8 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchMcPherson County, KS' momentum index is -0.31, a watch level here: momentum index in the cooling band (the cooling band of the momentum index computed here, score at or below -0.25; 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: momentum = -0.3112378731979166 <= -0.25
- momentum = Σ wᵢ · clip(changeᵢ / scaleᵢ, −1, 1) / Σ wᵢ over the terms present; weights and scales: home value 1-yr change 0.3 (±10%), rent 1-yr change 0.15 (±10%), jobs over-the-year change 0.3 (±3%), avg weekly wage over-the-year change 0.25 (±6%)
the cooling band of the momentum index computed here, score at or below -0.25; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchMcPherson County, KS' typical home value of $220,505 scores 46 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 84 across Kansas counties, a gap of 38 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 38 = |46 across US counties - 84 across Kansas counties|
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.