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Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska
A shallow water table limits basements on 39% of Kenai Peninsula Borough's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties and the 9th highest of 22 Alaska counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
The soil survey maps 26% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. None of the county is in drought on the November 3, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 27% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.
Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, November 3, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Kenai Peninsula Borough
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 39.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 81.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 2,682,951 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Starichkof | 4% | n/a |
| Soldotna | 3% | n/a |
| Cohoe | 3% | n/a |
| Nanwalek | 2% | n/a |
| Kachemak | 2% | n/a |
| Doroshin | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AK623 (2025-09-02), AK639 (2025-09-02), AK652 (2025-09-02), AK706 (2025-08-29), AK707 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 39% of Kenai Peninsula Borough'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: 53.90 in, 7.19 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 61.09 in.
USDA rates 82% 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.
| Category, November 3, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
10 flood losses since 2016, $83,147 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 61.09 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 53.90 in (-7.19) |
| 2025 | 56.53 in (-4.56) |
| Wettest year since 1925 | 1981: 80.79 in |
| Driest year since 1925 | 1996: 39.47 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BIG RIVER LAKES (31 mi away) | 14.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 32,836 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 27% |
| Built 2000 or later | 35% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $323,200 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage Municipality, AK | 117 mi | 0% | 28% |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK | 161 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Kodiak Island Borough, AK | 193 mi | 0% | 27% |
| Bristol Bay Borough, AK | 199 mi | 0% | 34% |
| Chugach Census Area, AK | 209 mi | 0% | 29% |
| Lake and Peninsula Borough, AK | 212 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Dillingham Census Area, AK | 214 mi | 0% | 61% |
| Denali Borough, AK | 241 mi | n/a | n/a |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status