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Kings County, California
A shallow water table limits basements on 33% of Kings County's mapped land, a higher share than 51% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 54 California counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 32%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Kings County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 31.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 32.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 67.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 36.0% |
| Mapped soil | 905,388 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tulare | 12% | n/a |
| Nord | 6% | n/a |
| Kimberlina | 6% | n/a |
| Gepford | 6% | n/a |
| Lethent | 5% | n/a |
| Delgado | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CA031 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.6% by land area here, and 36% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 32% of the mapped land.
On 33% of Kings County'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: 9.45 in, 1.73 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 7.72 in.
USDA rates 68% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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.
| Category, October 13, 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
6 flood losses since 2016, $140,701 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 7.72 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 9.45 in (+1.73) |
| 2025 | 9.04 in (+1.32) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1978: 14.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2013: 2.37 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LEMOORE REEVES NAS (19 mi away) | 0.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 46,986 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 54% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $324,300 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno County, CA | 48 mi | 14% | 2% |
| Tulare County, CA | 59 mi | 14% | 1% |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 59 mi | 17% | 1% |
| Madera County, CA | 78 mi | 2% | 3% |
| Kern County, CA | 79 mi | 6% | 1% |
| San Benito County, CA | 80 mi | 21% | 4% |
| Monterey County, CA | 85 mi | 15% | 2% |
| Merced County, CA | 92 mi | 28% | 27% |
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