Two interactive maps this morning, one from The New York Times, another from the Sunday edition of Philly.com.

This map (above), published Friday in the NY Times shows, how many helicopters, armored vehicles, body armor vests and helmets, grenade launchers, night vision goggles and assault rifles each county across the United States received since 2006 when the Pentagon began distributing excess combat equipment to state and municipal police agencies as the two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq wound down. 

The distribution of surplus military gear is in the news this week as the country comes to terms with what many regard as the exaggerated response to the civil unrest in Ferguson, Mo.

The good news is local police departments across Chester County received just two assault rifles from the Pentagon.

By contrast, Montgomery county received 24 assault rifles and 4 armored vehicles, Delaware County took ownership of two mine-resistant vehicles and Philadelphia County gathered over 500 assault rifles and 250 night vision goggles.

If the numbers on the map are to be believed, compared to other states, police departments in Pennsylvania’s counties, cities and municipalities were not standing in line looking for military handouts.

Other states and cities were not so circumspect.  Large states including California and Texas as well as states with smaller populations including Oklahoma and New Mexico took home big bounties in vehicles, guns, grenades and armor.

Municipalities in Salt Lake County for instance collectively received 634 rifles, 353 body armor vests, 74 rifles and 2 grenade launchers.

Grenade launchers? Really? In Salt Lake City? Perhaps municipal authorities in Salt Lake stocked up on surplus arms out of concern the 360-member, all-volunteer Mormon Tabernacle Choir might leave their choir loft and attempt a take over of city hall.

The full interactive Times map is here.

The second and more relevant map, more relevant at least to home owners in Chester County waiting impatiently for their homes, many purchased in the real estate boom of the early 200o’s, to regain the value lost when the national and global economy imploded in 2008, shows the “percentage change in median home prices from the second quarter of 2013 to the second quarter of 2014.”

Overall, except for a few municipalities in the northern and western portion of the County, home owners in Chester County saw home sales and prices rebound nicely.

Four townships including Pennsbury, Sadsbury, Penn and Franklin saw home prices increase 25 percent or more while 14 townships or boroughs across the county including East Pikeland, Easttown, and Parkesburg saw home value increase 10 to 24 percent.

At the other end of the scale, Pocopson and neighboring East Marlborough in the southeastern portion of the county along with Oxford Borough and the City of Coatesville saw median home prices decrease by 10 percent or more between the second quarter of 2013 and the same time period in 2014.

The Philly.com report noted while Chester County home prices rose during the period, the number of houses on the market decreased from the same period in 2013.

“Chester County sales volume was 13.2 percent lower and prices rose 1.1 percent, with listings spending fewer days on the market, the data show. “

Joseph Scott McArdle, an agent with Fox & Roach in Devon, who the Philly.com article noted, “focuses on the Chester County market,” was quoted in the article saying, the second quarter was “filled with ‘make up for lost time.’ ”

“When the weather finally cooperated, [buyers] seemed to come out in droves,” McArdle said. Among the things he noticed during the second quarter was that “for the first time in seven years, buyers no longer have the fear of continued falling prices.”

The entire Philly.com real estate summary is here and the interactive map here.