Somerset County, ME
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 45.50, -69.96.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 49th pct · 1,562nd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 20th pct · 13th of 16 Maine counties · median $322,387
- 38th pct · 1,871st of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 66th pct · 6th of 16 Maine counties · median +1.4%
- 26th pct · 994th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 8th pct · 12th of 13 Maine counties · median $1,801
- 65th pct · 1,126th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 33rd pct · 11th of 16 Maine counties · median 16,807
- 65th pct · 1,105th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 53rd pct · 8th of 16 Maine counties · median $1,117
- 43rd pct · 1,718th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 13th pct · 14th of 16 Maine counties · median 5.8
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 $228,626 (Sep 2026), +1.9% over one year, +37.6% over five
- 49th pct · 1,562nd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 20th pct · 13th of 16 Maine counties · median $322,387
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Somerset County, ME | $228,626 · +1.9% 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 $1,265/mo (Sep 2026), n/a over one year; price-to-rent 15.1
- 26th pct · 994th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 8th pct · 12th of 13 Maine counties · median $1,801
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Somerset County, ME | $1,265/mo · n/a 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 $1,266 a month on $228,626 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,845 a month: 26.1% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $228,626 × 80% = $182,901, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $1,266/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,118 × 52 / 12 = $4,845) = 26% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $228,626 / ($1,118 × 52) = 3.9
- price-to-rent = $228,626 / ($1,265 × 12) = 15.1
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 #
15,257 jobs at 1,558 employers (2026 Q1); -2.9% jobs and -2.2% average weekly wage over the year
- 65th pct · 1,126th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 33rd pct · 11th of 16 Maine counties · median 16,807
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Somerset County, ME | 15,257 jobs · $1,118/wk · -2.9% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 2,648 | $1,162 | 1.15 | +3.4% |
| Manufacturing | 2,438 | $1,405 | 1.99 | -4.0% |
| Retail trade | 2,310 | $726 | 1.55 | -0.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 935 | $465 | 0.68 | +2.6% |
| Administrative and waste services | 439 | $901 | 0.51 | -8.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 353 | $1,326 | 0.60 | +12.1% |
| Professional and technical services | 352 | $1,499 | 0.33 | -9.0% |
| Educational services | 265 | $925 | 0.81 | -2.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 245 | $1,356 | 0.39 | +0.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 244 | $1,017 | 0.38 | +3.8% |
| Real estate and rental | 201 | $1,207 | 0.86 | +0.0% |
| Management of companies | 165 | $3,348 | 0.65 | +1.2% |
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 #
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 #
Surface water layer not loaded
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 #
Surface water layer not loaded
Sites found: 0, 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.
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 #
No USGS monitoring wells within 75 km (or above 1,500 km)
Sites found: 0, 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.
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 (0.25)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 / 0.35
Banks & federal dollars #
$783.7 m in deposits at 13 offices of 5 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 4,012, highly concentrated. $435.1 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $391.8 m, grants $32.1 m), $28,515 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Skowhegan Savings Bank | $437.8 m · 55.9% share · 6 offices | |
| Bangor Savings Bank | $221.0 m · 28.2% share · 3 offices | |
| The Camden National Bank | $55.9 m · 7.1% share · 2 offices | |
| Somerset, ME | $435.1 m FY2026 · $28,515/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $384.5 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skowhegan Savings Bank | $437,830,000 | 55.9% | 6 |
| Bangor Savings Bank | $221,028,000 | 28.2% | 3 |
| The Camden National Bank | $55,898,000 | 7.1% | 2 |
| Franklin Savings Bank | $47,854,000 | 6.1% | 1 |
| Bar Harbor Bank & Trust | $21,062,000 | 2.7% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 4,012 across 5 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 5 banks with deposits in the county = 55.9² + 28.2² + 7.1² + … (2 more) = 4,012
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 | $326,986,474 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $55,817,191 |
| Department of Transportation | $28,723,752 |
| Department of Labor | $7,513,467 |
| Department of Education | $4,662,321 |
| Department of Agriculture | $4,580,398 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $1,801,207 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,778,298 |
| Department of Justice | $1,100,949 |
| General Services Administration | $737,521 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $671,922 |
| Small Business Administration | $375,000 |
That is $28,515 per covered job, against 15,257 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $435.1 m / 15,257 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $28,515
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 #
Somerset County, ME: 15 findings, 5 at a watch level and 10 noted
watchSomerset County, ME's covered employment is -2.9% 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 = -2.9 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchSomerset County, ME's average weekly wage is -2.2% 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 = -2.2 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchSomerset County, ME's momentum index is -0.38, 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 = -0.381762480181122 <= -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
watchSomerset County, ME's covered employment of 15,257 scores 65 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 33 across Maine counties, a gap of 32 points.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 32 = |65 across US counties - 33 across Maine counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
watchSomerset County, ME's years of wages of 3.9 scores 44 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 13 across Maine counties, a gap of 31 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 31 = |44 across US counties - 13 across Maine 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.