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Nevada County, California

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of Nevada County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 10.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 20 flood losses here since 2016. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

1%

high water table: limits basements

10%

in drought, October 13, 2026

42%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Nevada County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.2%
High water table (limits basements)0.6%
Septic fields very limited84.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.2%
Mapped soil1,495,675 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Waca6%n/a
Deadwood5%n/a
Hurlbut4%n/a
Meiss4%n/a
Mariposa4%n/a
Sites3%n/a
Placer County: 7%Sierra County: 5%Yuba County: 21%El Dorado County: 1%Plumas County: 4%Butte County: 31%Carson City: 11%Sutter County: 41%Nevada County PlacerSierraYubaEl DoradoPlumasButteCarson CitySutterNevada
Nevada 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 CA619 (2025-09-02), CA719 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 51.18 in, 0.03 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 51.15 in.

USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Nevada County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

10.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 47.9% 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 worse10.4%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

20 flood losses since 2016, $552,393 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 15.

YearFlood losses
20162
201715
20180
20192
20200
20210
20220
20231
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202051.15 in
12 months to August 202651.18 in (+0.03)
202553.49 in (+2.34)
Wettest year since 18951983: 94.76 in
Driest year since 18952013: 15.56 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GOLD RUN 2 SW (12 mi away)18.2

Homes

Housing units54,309
Median year built1983
Built before 198042%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied76%
Median value, owner-occupied$621,800
Single-family detached82%

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
Placer County, CA 17 mi 7% 4%
Sierra County, CA 22 mi 5% 9%
Yuba County, CA 32 mi 21% 5%
El Dorado County, CA 38 mi 1% 2%
Plumas County, CA 47 mi 4% 2%
Butte County, CA 52 mi 31% 27%
Carson City, NV 54 mi 11% 5%
Sutter County, CA 55 mi 41% 37%

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