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Fresno County, California

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 14% of Fresno 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 23 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

14%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

2%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

47%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Fresno County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)13.6%
High water table (limits basements)1.9%
Septic fields very limited77.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)12.6%
Mapped soil4,293,457 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Ciervo3%n/a
Cerini3%n/a
Hanford2%n/a
Tranquillity2%n/a
Hesperia2%n/a
Panoche2%n/a
Madera County: 2%Kings County: 32%Mariposa County: 5%Tulare County: 14%Merced County: 28%San Benito County: 21%Tuolumne County: 1%Mono County: 3%Fresno County MaderaKingsMariposaTulareMercedSan BenitoTuolumneMonoFresno
Fresno 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 CA653 (2025-09-02), CA654 (2025-09-02), CA740 (2025-09-02), CA750 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 21.48 in, 2.03 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 19.45 in.

USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 14% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Fresno County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse48.2%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

23 flood losses since 2016, $411,632 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 14. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 80% slabs, 15% crawl spaces, 5% elevated.

YearFlood losses
20160
20173
20182
20190
20200
20211
20221
202314
20240
20252
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202019.45 in
12 months to August 202621.48 in (+2.03)
202521.33 in (+1.88)
Wettest year since 18951983: 36.33 in
Driest year since 18952013: 5.29 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FRESNO YOSEMITE INTL AP (4 mi away)1.1

Homes

Housing units344,894
Median year built1982
Built before 198047%
Built 2000 or later26%
Owner-occupied56%
Median value, owner-occupied$388,800
Single-family detached68%

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
Madera County, CA 31 mi 2% 3%
Kings County, CA 48 mi 32% 33%
Mariposa County, CA 58 mi 5% 3%
Tulare County, CA 61 mi 14% 1%
Merced County, CA 66 mi 28% 27%
San Benito County, CA 80 mi 21% 4%
Tuolumne County, CA 89 mi 1% 2%
Mono County, CA 90 mi 3% 7%

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