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Copper River Census Area, Alaska

A shallow water table limits basements on 37% of Copper River Census Area's mapped land, a higher share than 56% of US counties and the 10th highest of 22 Alaska counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.

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. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.

Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources

3%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

37%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, November 3, 2026

42%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Copper River Census Area

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.8%
High water table (limits basements)37.3%
Septic fields very limited93.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.3%
Mapped soil16,073,608 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Klawasi2%n/a
Klasi2%n/a
Cirquecreek2%n/a
Greylingcreek2%n/a
Chelina1%n/a
Tasta1%n/a
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area: 62%Chugach Census Area: 29%Matanuska-Susitna Borough: no dataYakutat City and Borough: 23%Anchorage Municipality: 28%Fairbanks North Star Borough: 56%Denali Borough: no dataKenai Peninsula Borough: 39%Copper River Census Area Southeast FairbanksChugachMatanuska-SusitnaYakutatAnchorageFairbanks North StarDenaliKenai PeninsulaCopper River
Copper River Census Area (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count

What the numbers mean here

On 37% of Copper River Census Area's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 49.73 in, 5.64 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 44.09 in.

USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

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 Copper River Census Area since 2016.

Rain

Average year, 1991-202044.09 in
12 months to August 202649.73 in (+5.64)
202544.49 in (+0.40)
Wettest year since 19252022: 72.19 in
Driest year since 19251969: 27.39 in

Homes

Housing units2,442
Median year built1985
Built before 198042%
Built 2000 or later25%
Owner-occupied69%
Median value, owner-occupied$292,800
Single-family detached83%

What repairs cost

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

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK 128 mi 0% 62%
Chugach Census Area, AK 131 mi 0% 29%
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK 181 mi n/a n/a
Yakutat City and Borough, AK 182 mi 0% 23%
Anchorage Municipality, AK 186 mi 0% 28%
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK 199 mi 0% 56%
Denali Borough, AK 223 mi n/a n/a
Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK 302 mi 0% 39%

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