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Plumas County, California

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 4% of Plumas County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 4.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 16 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

4%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

2%

high water table: limits basements

5%

in drought, October 13, 2026

47%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Plumas County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)4.5%
High water table (limits basements)2.0%
Septic fields very limited83.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)4.7%
Mapped soil1,923,178 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Keddie1%n/a
Badenaugh1%n/a
Dotta1%n/a
Westeunder 1%n/a
Redriverunder 1%n/a
Ramelliunder 1%n/a
Sierra County: 5%Butte County: 31%Nevada County: 2%Lassen County: 21%Yuba County: 21%Placer County: 7%Tehama County: 15%Storey County: 30%Plumas County SierraButteNevadaLassenYubaPlacerTehamaStoreyPlumas
Plumas 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 CA608 (2025-09-03), CA612 (2025-09-05), CA708 (2025-09-03), CA713 (2025-09-03), CA789 (2025-09-03)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 40.97 in, 0.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 41.33 in.

USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 4% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Plumas County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

4.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 83.5% 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 worse4.7%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

16 flood losses since 2016, $419,854 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 15.

YearFlood losses
20160
201715
20180
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202041.33 in
12 months to August 202640.97 in (-0.36)
202545.79 in (+4.46)
Wettest year since 18951983: 76.91 in
Driest year since 18952013: 12.06 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at QUINCY (8 mi away)13.3

Homes

Housing units14,921
Median year built1981
Built before 198047%
Built 2000 or later18%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$360,200
Single-family detached84%

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
Sierra County, CA 33 mi 5% 9%
Butte County, CA 47 mi 31% 27%
Nevada County, CA 47 mi 2% 1%
Lassen County, CA 51 mi 21% 6%
Yuba County, CA 57 mi 21% 5%
Placer County, CA 64 mi 7% 4%
Tehama County, CA 75 mi 15% 3%
Storey County, NV 79 mi 30% under 1%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status