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Tehama County, California

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 15% of Tehama County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 3%, 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 39 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 1981.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

15%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

3%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

47%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Tehama County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)14.8%
High water table (limits basements)3.0%
Septic fields very limited81.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)15.7%
Mapped soil1,869,540 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Toomes10%n/a
Newville10%n/a
Sheetiron6%n/a
Cohasset4%n/a
Millsholm3%n/a
McCarthy3%n/a
Glenn County: 38%Shasta County: 9%Butte County: 31%Trinity County: no dataColusa County: 55%Plumas County: 4%Lake County: 8%Yuba County: 21%Tehama County GlennShastaButteTrinityColusaPlumasLakeYubaTehama
Tehama 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 CA645 (2025-09-05), CA708 (2025-09-03), CA789 (2025-09-03)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 38.82 in, 1.61 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 37.21 in.

USDA rates 82% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 15% and a shallow water table on 3% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Tehama 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

39 flood losses since 2016, $1.8 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 10. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 35% slabs, 50% crawl spaces, 15% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 16 in.

YearFlood losses
20164
20178
20180
20198
20200
20213
20222
20233
20241
202510
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202037.21 in
12 months to August 202638.82 in (+1.61)
202536.50 in (-0.71)
Wettest year since 18951983: 76.35 in
Driest year since 18952013: 11.42 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RED BLUFF MUNI AP (2 mi away)4.2

Homes

Housing units27,527
Median year built1981
Built before 198047%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied67%
Median value, owner-occupied$339,600
Single-family detached69%

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
Glenn County, CA 37 mi 38% 15%
Shasta County, CA 45 mi 9% 4%
Butte County, CA 46 mi 31% 27%
Trinity County, CA 59 mi n/a n/a
Colusa County, CA 66 mi 55% 37%
Plumas County, CA 75 mi 4% 2%
Lake County, CA 75 mi 8% 1%
Yuba County, CA 76 mi 21% 5%

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