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Mono County, California

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 3% of Mono County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 7%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 56% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

3%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

7%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

49%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Mono County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.5%
High water table (limits basements)6.9%
Septic fields very limited87.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.9%
Mapped soil1,101,727 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Brantel6%n/a
Honova3%n/a
Murain3%n/a
Lithnip3%n/a
Alamedawell2%n/a
Domehill2%n/a
Mineral County: 5%Tuolumne County: 1%Mariposa County: 5%Madera County: 2%Esmeralda County: 4%Alpine County: 2%Lyon County: 11%Douglas County: 20%Mono County MineralTuolumneMariposaMaderaEsmeraldaAlpineLyonDouglasMono
Mono 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 CA686 (2025-09-08), CA729 (2025-09-08), CA802 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 15.91 in, 0.72 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 15.19 in.

USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 3% and a shallow water table on 7% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Mono 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 worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

4 flood losses since 2016, $26,213 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20211
20220
20232
20241
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202015.19 in
12 months to August 202615.91 in (+0.72)
202516.87 in (+1.68)
Wettest year since 18951983: 28.16 in
Driest year since 18951947: 5.76 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LEE VINING (13 mi away)3.3

Homes

Housing units13,676
Median year built1980
Built before 198049%
Built 2000 or later16%
Owner-occupied65%
Median value, owner-occupied$639,400
Single-family detached47%

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
Mineral County, NV 49 mi 5% 2%
Tuolumne County, CA 60 mi 1% 2%
Mariposa County, CA 61 mi 5% 3%
Madera County, CA 68 mi 2% 3%
Esmeralda County, NV 69 mi 4% 4%
Alpine County, CA 71 mi 2% 7%
Lyon County, NV 78 mi 11% 8%
Douglas County, NV 79 mi 20% 9%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status