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Caribou County, Idaho

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 13% of Caribou County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 4%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 46% 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. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

13%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

4%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

70%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Caribou County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)12.7%
High water table (limits basements)3.6%
Septic fields very limited78.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)13.7%
Mapped soil521,748 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Rexburg6%n/a
Ririe3%n/a
Bancroft2%n/a
Dranburn2%n/a
Iphil2%n/a
Lanoak2%n/a
Bannock County: no dataBear Lake County: 6%Bonneville County: 11%Franklin County: 21%Bingham County: 0%Lincoln County: 19%Oneida County: 5%Power County: 1%Caribou County BannockBear LakeBonnevilleFranklinBinghamLincolnOneidaPowerCaribou
Caribou 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 ID713 (2025-08-27), ID716 (2025-08-27), ID758 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 21.58 in, 1.24 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.82 in.

USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 13% and a shallow water table on 4% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Caribou 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 49 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 32 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse100%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1 flood losses since 2016, $8,023 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20171
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202022.82 in
12 months to August 202621.58 in (-1.24)
202523.91 in (+1.09)
Wettest year since 18951983: 35.21 in
Driest year since 18951939: 13.12 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GRACE (16 mi away)0.7

Homes

Housing units3,157
Median year built1972
Built before 198070%
Built 2000 or later15%
Owner-occupied82%
Median value, owner-occupied$241,500
Single-family detached81%

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
Bannock County, ID 35 mi n/a n/a
Bear Lake County, ID 36 mi 6% 16%
Bonneville County, ID 42 mi 11% 4%
Franklin County, ID 44 mi 21% 8%
Bingham County, ID 53 mi under 1% 2%
Lincoln County, WY 58 mi 19% 5%
Oneida County, ID 65 mi 5% 4%
Power County, ID 66 mi 1% 2%

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