Lake County, Colorado
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Lake County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 15%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 31% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Lake County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 14.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 73,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Troutville | 43% | n/a |
| Granile | 6% | n/a |
| Newfork | 5% | n/a |
| Bross | 5% | n/a |
| Pierian | 4% | n/a |
| Tomichi | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO658 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 16.25 in, 7.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 24.22 in.
USDA rates 97% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 15% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Lake County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 46 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 100% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Lake County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 24.22 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 16.25 in (-7.97) |
| 2025 | 18.65 in (-5.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1895: 35.91 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1939: 13.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LEADVILLE LAKE CO AP (2 mi away) | 0.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,983 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $466,100 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitkin County, CO | 30 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Summit County, CO | 31 mi | 4% | 5% |
| Chaffee County, CO | 33 mi | 1% | 5% |
| Park County, CO | 34 mi | 2% | 7% |
| Eagle County, CO | 34 mi | 4% | 1% |
| Clear Creek County, CO | 49 mi | 0% | 3% |
| Gunnison County, CO | 53 mi | 9% | 6% |
| Gilpin County, CO | 63 mi | 0% | 3% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status