Park County, Colorado
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of Park 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 48% 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 1 flood losses here since 2016. 29% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.
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 Park County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.8% |
| Mapped soil | 668,519 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Gebson | 11% | n/a |
| Bushpark | 10% | n/a |
| Hodden | 10% | n/a |
| Betemer | 5% | n/a |
| Rogert | 5% | n/a |
| Lanswick | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO638 (2025-08-29), CO641 (2025-08-29), CO645 (2025-08-29), CO653 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.30 in, 5.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 17.57 in.
USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on 7% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Park 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 27 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 | 74.8% |
| D4 exceptional | 33.5% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 17.57 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.30 in (-5.27) |
| 2025 | 14.25 in (-3.32) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 25.13 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1939: 9.67 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ANTERO RSVR (13 mi away) | 0.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,066 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 29% |
| Built 2000 or later | 32% |
| Owner-occupied | 86% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $532,100 |
| Single-family detached | 92% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teller County, CO | 33 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Lake County, CO | 34 mi | 0% | 15% |
| Clear Creek County, CO | 40 mi | 0% | 3% |
| Jefferson County, CO | 41 mi | 17% | 2% |
| Chaffee County, CO | 41 mi | 1% | 5% |
| Summit County, CO | 41 mi | 4% | 5% |
| Douglas County, CO | 45 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Fremont County, CO | 48 mi | 5% | 2% |
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