Gooding County, Idaho
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 26% of Gooding County's mapped land, a higher share than 76% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 43 Idaho counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
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. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Gooding County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 25.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 26.7% |
| Mapped soil | 469,372 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Taunton | 5% | n/a |
| Gooding | 4% | n/a |
| Ackelton | 4% | n/a |
| McHandy | 4% | n/a |
| Jestrick | 4% | n/a |
| Power | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ID681 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 27% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 26% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 26% of Gooding County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 8.22 in, 2.48 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 10.70 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Gooding County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 10.70 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 8.22 in (-2.48) |
| 2025 | 9.01 in (-1.69) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1907: 19.24 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2013: 4.99 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HAGERMAN 2 SW (12 mi away) | 0.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,141 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $250,900 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, ID | 34 mi | 16% | 1% |
| Jerome County, ID | 34 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| Camas County, ID | 37 mi | 19% | 22% |
| Twin Falls County, ID | 44 mi | 13% | 1% |
| Elmore County, ID | 44 mi | 7% | 2% |
| Blaine County, ID | 52 mi | 11% | 4% |
| Minidoka County, ID | 60 mi | 1% | 7% |
| Owyhee County, ID | 75 mi | 27% | 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