Latah County, Idaho
A shallow water table limits basements on 43% of Latah County's mapped land, a higher share than 61% of US counties and the highest of 43 Idaho counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 30 flood losses here since 2016, 15% of them in buildings with basements. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Latah County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 43.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.5% |
| Mapped soil | 689,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Santa | 9% | n/a |
| Southwick | 6% | n/a |
| Taney | 6% | n/a |
| Larkin | 5% | n/a |
| Palouse | 4% | n/a |
| Naff | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ID057 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 43% of Latah 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: 33.10 in, 1.56 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 31.54 in.
USDA rates 98% 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
30 flood losses since 2016, $517,974 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 20. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 15% basements, 10% slabs, 75% crawl spaces. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 20 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 6 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 31.54 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.10 in (+1.56) |
| 2025 | 29.24 in (-2.30) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1996: 45.54 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1944: 19.12 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MOSCOW U OF I (12 mi away) | 2.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,591 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 59% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $368,600 |
| Single-family detached | 54% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benewah County, ID | 28 mi | 1% | 40% |
| Nez Perce County, ID | 34 mi | 7% | 15% |
| Whitman County, WA | 38 mi | 1% | 15% |
| Lewis County, ID | 43 mi | 23% | 33% |
| Garfield County, WA | 47 mi | 13% | 2% |
| Asotin County, WA | 50 mi | 29% | 5% |
| Clearwater County, ID | 52 mi | 1% | 14% |
| Shoshone County, ID | 54 mi | under 1% | 4% |
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