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Calaveras County, California

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of Calaveras County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 34 flood losses here since 2016, 4% of them in buildings with basements. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

2%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

35%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Calaveras County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.3%
High water table (limits basements)2.0%
Septic fields very limited86.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)3.0%
Mapped soil1,053,152 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Loafercreek9%n/a
Nedsgulch6%n/a
Bonanza5%n/a
Copperopolis4%n/a
Gopheridge4%n/a
Millvilla3%n/a
Amador County: 1%Tuolumne County: 1%El Dorado County: 1%San Joaquin County: 30%Sacramento County: 16%Alpine County: 2%Stanislaus County: 24%Mariposa County: 5%Calaveras County AmadorTuolumneEl DoradoSan JoaquinSacramentoAlpineStanislausMariposaCalaveras
Calaveras County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas CA630 (2025-09-02), CA731 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 33.53 in, 1.61 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.14 in.

USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Calaveras County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 1 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 7% of its area, on the April 7, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

34 flood losses since 2016, $1.4 million paid. The worst year was 2023, with 11. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 4% basements, 46% slabs, 46% crawl spaces, 4% elevated.

YearFlood losses
20164
20174
20182
20193
20200
20210
20228
202311
20242
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202035.14 in
12 months to August 202633.53 in (-1.61)
202532.17 in (-2.97)
Wettest year since 18951983: 67.75 in
Driest year since 18952013: 11.14 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at W PT (13 mi away)14

Homes

Housing units27,683
Median year built1986
Built before 198035%
Built 2000 or later23%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$457,200
Single-family detached87%

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
Amador County, CA 18 mi 1% 3%
Tuolumne County, CA 34 mi 1% 2%
El Dorado County, CA 41 mi 1% 2%
San Joaquin County, CA 43 mi 30% 23%
Sacramento County, CA 46 mi 16% 26%
Alpine County, CA 48 mi 2% 7%
Stanislaus County, CA 50 mi 24% 7%
Mariposa County, CA 55 mi 5% 3%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status