Mower County, MN
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 43.67, -92.76.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 39th pct · 1,866th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 17th pct · 72nd of 87 Minnesota counties · median $270,028
- 51st pct · 1,492nd of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 38th pct · 54th of 87 Minnesota counties · median +3.5%
- 18th pct · 1,103rd of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 31st pct · 23rd of 33 Minnesota counties · median $1,370
- 67th pct · 1,062nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 72nd pct · 25th of 87 Minnesota counties · median 7,739
- 78th pct · 705th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 81st pct · 17th of 87 Minnesota counties · median $1,102
- 26th pct · 2,266th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 8th pct · 80th of 87 Minnesota counties · median 4.6
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 $201,999 (Sep 2026), +2.9% over one year, +27.3% over five
- 39th pct · 1,866th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 17th pct · 72nd of 87 Minnesota counties · median $270,028
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Mower County, MN | $201,999 · +2.9% 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 $1,161/mo (Sep 2026), +9.0% over one year; price-to-rent 14.5
- 18th pct · 1,103rd of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 31st pct · 23rd of 33 Minnesota counties · median $1,370
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Mower County, MN | $1,161/mo · +9.0% 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 $1,119 a month on $201,999 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,278 a month: 21.2% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $201,999 × 80% = $161,599, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $1,119/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,218 × 52 / 12 = $5,278) = 21% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $201,999 / ($1,218 × 52) = 3.2
- price-to-rent = $201,999 / ($1,161 × 12) = 14.5
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 #
16,538 jobs at 878 employers (2026 Q1); -1.6% jobs and +6.0% average weekly wage over the year
- 67th pct · 1,062nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 72nd pct · 25th of 87 Minnesota counties · median 7,739
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Mower County, MN | 16,538 jobs · $1,218/wk · -1.6% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,900 | $1,207 | 2.93 | -2.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,483 | $1,163 | 1.00 | -0.9% |
| Retail trade | 1,636 | $672 | 1.02 | -0.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 994 | $389 | 0.67 | -3.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 618 | $966 | 0.89 | +9.0% |
| Construction | 491 | $1,336 | 0.57 | +1.9% |
| Administrative and waste services | 475 | $871 | 0.51 | -5.8% |
| Other services | 429 | $606 | 0.87 | +11.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 346 | $3,591 | 0.55 | -13.3% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 245 | $345 | 0.90 | +7.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 223 | $1,369 | 0.33 | -7.5% |
| Information | 148 | $1,122 | 0.49 | -1.3% |
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 #
No drought class at this point (USDM covers the United States only)
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 #
low (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 / 0.35
Banks & federal dollars #
$830.0 m in deposits at 15 offices of 11 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,250, moderately concentrated. $248.2 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $239.0 m, grants $8.3 m), $15,009 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| United Farmers State Bank | $181.6 m · 21.9% share · 3 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $131.8 m · 15.9% share · 1 office | |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $115.5 m · 13.9% share · 1 office | |
| Mower, MN | $248.2 m FY2026 · $15,009/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $207.3 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Farmers State Bank | $181,555,000 | 21.9% | 3 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $131,814,000 | 15.9% | 1 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $115,501,000 | 13.9% | 1 |
| First Farmers & Merchants State Bank | $85,692,000 | 10.3% | 2 |
| Alerus Financial, National Association | $57,853,000 | 7.0% | 1 |
| Old National Bank | $52,633,000 | 6.3% | 1 |
| First Farmers & Merchants State Bank of Grand Meadow | $52,481,000 | 6.3% | 2 |
| Sterling State Bank | $47,283,000 | 5.7% | 1 |
| First State Bank Minnesota | $47,089,000 | 5.7% | 1 |
| Manufacturers Bank & Trust Company | $35,609,000 | 4.3% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,250 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 = 21.9² + 15.9² + 13.9² + … (8 more) = 1,250
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 | $189,069,090 |
| Department of Agriculture | $24,964,188 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $18,082,878 |
| Department of Education | $5,703,775 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $4,020,383 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $3,052,851 |
| Department of Transportation | $2,016,910 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,173,167 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $150,938 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
| Department of Justice | -$337 |
| General Services Administration | -$11,840 |
That is $15,009 per covered job, against 16,538 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $248.2 m / 16,538 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $15,009
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 #
Mower County, MN: 11 findings, 2 at a watch level and 9 noted
watchMower County, MN's covered employment is -1.6% 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 = -1.6 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchMower County, MN's typical asking rent is +9.0% against a year earlier, a watch level here: typical asking rent at least 8 percent above a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZORI; 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: rent.yoyPct = 9.003873270513937 >= 8
arithmetic on Zillow ZORI; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
noteMower County, MN's average weekly wage was 6.0% 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
- +6 % = 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
noteMower County, MN's covered employment was 1.6% 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
- -1.6 % = 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
noteMower County, MN's typical asking rent rose 1.4% from $1,145 in August 2026 to $1,161 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +1.4% = (1160.688888888889 - 1144.61425037335) / 1144.61425037335 × 100
- 1160.688888888889 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 1144.61425037335 = 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.