Benewah County, Idaho
A shallow water table limits basements on 40% of Benewah County's mapped land, a higher share than 58% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 43 Idaho counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Benewah County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 40.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.5% |
| Mapped soil | 514,018 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Honeyjones | 10% | n/a |
| Hobnail | 7% | n/a |
| Ahrs | 7% | n/a |
| Reggear | 7% | n/a |
| Threebear | 6% | n/a |
| Ardenvoir | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ID608 (2025-08-27), ID620 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 40% of Benewah 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: 25.33 in, 7.07 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.40 in.
USDA rates 95% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 52 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 | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $5,319 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.40 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 25.33 in (-7.07) |
| 2025 | 24.18 in (-8.22) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1996: 48.12 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1929: 19.70 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAINT MARIES (7 mi away) | 3.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,757 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $293,500 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latah County, ID | 28 mi | 5% | 43% |
| Kootenai County, ID | 32 mi | 2% | 10% |
| Shoshone County, ID | 36 mi | under 1% | 4% |
| Spokane County, WA | 45 mi | 3% | 16% |
| Whitman County, WA | 48 mi | 1% | 15% |
| Clearwater County, ID | 60 mi | 1% | 14% |
| Nez Perce County, ID | 62 mi | 7% | 15% |
| Lewis County, ID | 69 mi | 23% | 33% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status