Wake County, NC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 35.79, -78.65.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 91st pct · 246th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 94th pct · 6th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $270,749
- counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 11th pct · 2,712th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 8th pct · 92nd of 100 North Carolina counties · median +1.1%
- counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 63rd pct · 503rd of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 62nd pct · 24th of 62 North Carolina counties · median $1,550
- counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 98th pct · 40th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 98th pct · 2nd of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
- counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 96th pct · 128th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 97th pct · 3rd of 100 North Carolina counties · median $984
- counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 71st pct · 873rd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 57th pct · 43rd of 100 North Carolina counties · median 5.0
- counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Raleigh-Cary 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 $471,020 (Sep 2026), -1.7% over one year, +17.9% over five
- 91st pct · 246th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 94th pct · 6th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $270,749
- counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wake County, NC | $471,020 · -1.7% 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 $1,659/mo (Sep 2026), +1.4% over one year; price-to-rent 23.7
- 63rd pct · 503rd of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 62nd pct · 24th of 62 North Carolina counties · median $1,550
- counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wake County, NC | $1,659/mo · +1.4% 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 $2,609 a month on $471,020 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $7,280 a month: 35.8% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $471,020 × 80% = $376,816, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $2,609/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,680 × 52 / 12 = $7,280) = 36% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $471,020 / ($1,680 × 52) = 5.4
- price-to-rent = $471,020 / ($1,659 × 12) = 23.7
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 #
666,767 jobs at 51,619 employers (2026 Q1); +1.7% jobs and +2.8% average weekly wage over the year
- 98th pct · 40th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 98th pct · 2nd of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
- counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wake County, NC | 666,767 jobs · $1,680/wk · +1.7% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 85,772 | $1,334 | 0.85 | +6.3% |
| Professional and technical services | 77,350 | $2,615 | 1.68 | -1.4% |
| Retail trade | 63,987 | $829 | 0.98 | +0.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 57,976 | $517 | 0.97 | +2.3% |
| Administrative and waste services | 51,321 | $1,221 | 1.35 | +2.1% |
| Construction | 46,223 | $1,767 | 1.32 | +3.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 27,448 | $3,592 | 1.01 | -1.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 26,232 | $2,659 | 1.03 | -1.7% |
| Manufacturing | 25,244 | $2,283 | 0.47 | +7.2% |
| Information | 24,437 | $3,654 | 1.99 | -0.6% |
| Other services | 21,742 | $1,110 | 1.09 | +3.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 18,622 | $1,064 | 0.66 | +2.3% |
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 #
D2 severe 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 |
|---|---|---|
| FALLS LAKE ABOVE DAM NR FALLS, NC | 246.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 18 km |
| BEAVERDAM CREEK AT DAM NEAR CREEDMOOR, NC | 248.6 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 26 km |
| B. EVERETT JORDAN LAKE AT DAM NR MONCURE, NC | 213.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 41 km |
| AFTERBAY RESERVOIR AT DAM NR MCGEHEES MILL, NC | 364.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 87 km |
| HYCO LAKE AT DAM NR ROXBORO, NC | 7.92 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 88 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 #
107 gauges · 0 flooding · 2 with quality panels averaging 83 % · 33 stale
Sites found: 107, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CAPE FEAR RIVER AT LILLINGTON, NC | flow 444.0 ft³/s · quality 67 % (3) | 45 km |
| PIGEON HOUSE CR AT CAMERON VILLAGE AT RALEIGH, NC | flow 0.03 ft³/s | 0 km |
| PIGEON HOUSE CR AT DORTCH STREET AT RALEIGH, NC | stage 1.91 ft | 1 km |
| ROCKY BRANCH BELOW PULLEN ROAD AT RALEIGH, NC | flow 0.31 ft³/s | 2 km |
| PIGEON HOUSE CREEK AT FENTON STREET AT RALEIGH, NC | flow 1.50 ft³/s | 3 km |
| CRABTREE CR AT OLD WAKE FOREST RD AT RALEIGH, NC | stage 1.60 ft | 4 km |
| WALNUT CREEK AT SOUTH WILMINGTON ST AT RALEIGH, NC | flow 5.60 ft³/s | 4 km |
| CRABTREE CREEK AT ANDERSON DRIVE AT RALEIGH, NC | stage 2.53 ft | 4 km |
| BUSHY BRANCH CREEK AT GORMAN STREET AT RALEIGH, NC | stage 1.33 ft | 4 km |
| WALNUT CREEK AT SOUTH STATE STREET AT RALEIGH, NC | stage 1.63 ft | 4 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 #
29 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 29, 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-354649078400701 | depth 6.16 ft · 2026-10-18 | 2 km |
| USGS-354649078400702 | depth 6.57 ft · 2026-10-18 | 2 km |
| USGS-354404078403101 | depth 25.7 ft · 2013-07-22 | 7 km |
| USGS-354359078403104 | depth 32.1 ft · 2026-10-18 | 7 km |
| USGS-354748078315901 | depth 31.6 ft · 2026-10-18 | 11 km |
| USGS-354144078460102 | depth 43.7 ft · 2026-10-18 | 15 km |
| USGS-354315078300102 | depth 17.7 ft · 2009-06-08 | 16 km |
| USGS-354315078300103 | depth 19.7 ft · 2026-10-18 | 16 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 #
moderate (0.38)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.17 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$106.4 bn in deposits at 242 offices of 36 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 4,470, highly concentrated. $9.8 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $5.6 bn, grants $3.9 bn), $14,743 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $70.1 bn · 65.8% share · 18 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $7.5 bn · 7.0% share · 29 offices | |
| Truist Bank | $7.0 bn · 6.6% share · 28 offices | |
| Wake, NC | $9.8 bn FY2026 · $14,743/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $5.3 bn · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $70,073,554,000 | 65.8% | 18 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $7,463,713,000 | 7.0% | 29 |
| Truist Bank | $7,030,430,000 | 6.6% | 28 |
| Bank of America, National Association | $4,238,978,000 | 4.0% | 19 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $4,118,086,000 | 3.9% | 16 |
| TowneBank | $2,061,351,000 | 1.9% | 5 |
| First Carolina Bank | $1,388,157,000 | 1.3% | 2 |
| First Horizon Bank | $1,354,268,000 | 1.3% | 11 |
| The Fidelity Bank | $1,311,194,000 | 1.2% | 13 |
| North State Bank | $1,133,487,000 | 1.1% | 6 |
Deposit concentration is 4,470 across 36 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 36 banks with deposits in the county = 65.8² + 7.0² + 6.6² + … (33 more) = 4,470
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 | $4,514,583,763 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $2,075,745,193 |
| Department of Education | $1,417,851,510 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $858,461,463 |
| Department of Transportation | $260,127,293 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $201,623,795 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $139,217,952 |
| Department of Defense | $135,126,810 |
| Department of Agriculture | $70,493,447 |
| National Science Foundation | $51,512,939 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $19,162,113 |
| Department of Justice | $19,063,590 |
That is $14,743 per covered job, against 666,767 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $9.8 bn / 666,767 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $14,743
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 #
Wake County, NC: 14 findings, 2 at a watch level and 12 noted
watchWake County, NC's typical home value is -1.7% against a year earlier, a watch level here: typical home value below a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; 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: home.yoyPct = -1.66669495122969 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
watchWake County, NC's price-to-rent ratio of 23.7 ranks 136th of 1,358 US counties, a watch level here: price-to-rent in the top tenth of US counties (position among the counties that published both ZHVI and ZORI this month; 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: priceToRent percentile = 90.05158437730287 >= 90
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
position among the counties that published both ZHVI and ZORI this month; not an official level
noteWake County, NC's average weekly wage was 2.8% 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
- +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
noteWake County, NC's 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
noteWake County, NC's covered employment of 666,767 ranks 2nd of 100 North Carolina counties, against a median of 16,739.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 99 on the 0-to-100 scale across 100 North Carolina counties that published jobs.emp
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.