Taylor County, Iowa
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 85% of Taylor County's mapped land, a higher share than 100% of US counties and the 4th highest of 99 Iowa counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 83%.
None 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. 81% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1951.
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 Taylor County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 85.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 83.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 51.0% |
| Mapped soil | 343,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Nira | 13% | n/a |
| Lamoni | 13% | n/a |
| Sharpsburg | 11% | 98% |
| Shelby | 8% | n/a |
| Colo | 8% | n/a |
| Gara | 5% | 65% |
How we count · survey areas IA173 (2026-05-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.6% by land area here, and 51% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 85% of the mapped land.
On 83% of Taylor County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 35.65 in, 1.73 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.38 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 7 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 88.9% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the March 31, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Taylor County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.38 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.65 in (-1.73) |
| 2025 | 27.48 in (-9.90) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 55.28 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1988: 16.56 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BEDFORD (5 mi away) | 11.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,889 |
| Median year built | 1951 |
| Built before 1980 | 81% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $117,200 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County, IA | 20 mi | 88% | 78% |
| Worth County, MO | 23 mi | 41% | 58% |
| Page County, IA | 23 mi | 63% | 63% |
| Ringgold County, IA | 24 mi | 76% | 77% |
| Nodaway County, MO | 28 mi | 79% | 62% |
| Union County, IA | 31 mi | 85% | 78% |
| Montgomery County, IA | 31 mi | 36% | 40% |
| Gentry County, MO | 40 mi | 68% | 71% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (May 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status