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Aleutians East Borough, Alaska

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Aleutians East Borough's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 11%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the November 3, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.

Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

11%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, November 3, 2026

48%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Aleutians East Borough

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)10.9%
Septic fields very limited48.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)0.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil8,833,310 acres
Lake and Peninsula Borough: no dataBristol Bay Borough: 0%Dillingham Census Area: 0%Kodiak Island Borough: 0%Bethel Census Area: no dataKusilvak Census Area: no dataKenai Peninsula Borough: 0%Anchorage Municipality: 0%Aleutians East Borough Lake and PeninsulaBristol BayDillinghamKodiak IslandBethelKusilvakKenai PeninsulaAnchorageAleutians East
Aleutians East Borough (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 39.17 in, 11.45 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.62 in.

With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Aleutians East Borough; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.

November 11, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyNovember 3, 2026
Category, November 3, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Aleutians East Borough since 2016.

Rain

Average year, 1991-202050.62 in
12 months to August 202639.17 in (-11.45)
202549.63 in (-0.99)
Wettest year since 19252000: 87.33 in
Driest year since 19251968: 28.52 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COLD BAY AP (29 mi away)4.6

Homes

Housing units1,245
Median year built1981
Built before 198048%
Built 2000 or later13%
Owner-occupied64%
Median value, owner-occupied$135,500
Single-family detached72%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Lake and Peninsula Borough, AK 291 mi n/a n/a
Bristol Bay Borough, AK 306 mi 0% 34%
Dillingham Census Area, AK 327 mi 0% 61%
Kodiak Island Borough, AK 352 mi 0% 27%
Bethel Census Area, AK 398 mi n/a n/a
Kusilvak Census Area, AK 488 mi n/a n/a
Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK 501 mi 0% 39%
Anchorage Municipality, AK 616 mi 0% 28%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status