Yavapai County, Arizona
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29% of Yavapai County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties and the 4th highest of 15 Arizona counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
The soil survey maps 80% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. 7.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 19.3% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 132 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 23% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1995.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Yavapai County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 29.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | under 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 68.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 29.9% |
| Mapped soil | 4,164,460 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Barkerville | 10% | n/a |
| Springerville | 7% | n/a |
| Cabezon | 6% | n/a |
| Lonti | 5% | n/a |
| Cellar | 4% | n/a |
| Moano | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AZ637 (2025-08-26), AZ639 (2025-08-25), AZ641 (2025-08-26), AZ643 (2025-08-28), AZ699 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 30% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 7.4% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 29% of Yavapai County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 15.82 in, 0.62 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 15.20 in.
USDA rates 68% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
7.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 weeks, most recently on the August 18, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 7.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
132 flood losses since 2016, $3.0 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 34. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 67% slabs, 17% crawl spaces, 15% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 13 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 28 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 34 |
| 2022 | 8 |
| 2023 | 22 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 15.20 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 15.82 in (+0.62) |
| 2025 | 15.91 in (+0.71) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1905: 31.50 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 6.23 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PRESCOTT LOVE FLD (9 mi away) | 1.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 126,095 |
| Median year built | 1995 |
| Built before 1980 | 23% |
| Built 2000 or later | 39% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $425,200 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa County, AZ | 91 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Coconino County, AZ | 93 mi | 15% | 1% |
| Mohave County, AZ | 99 mi | 6% | under 1% |
| La Paz County, AZ | 105 mi | 2% | under 1% |
| Gila County, AZ | 118 mi | 30% | under 1% |
| Navajo County, AZ | 138 mi | 7% | under 1% |
| Pinal County, AZ | 139 mi | 15% | under 1% |
| Yuma County, AZ | 151 mi | 1% | under 1% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status