Lincoln County, Idaho
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16% of Lincoln County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% of US counties and the 10th highest of 43 Idaho counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 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. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Lincoln County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.1% |
| Mapped soil | 773,034 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Starbuck | 10% | n/a |
| Paulville | 6% | n/a |
| Sidlake | 6% | n/a |
| McPan | 6% | n/a |
| Rehfield | 4% | n/a |
| Marley | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ID681 (2025-08-27), ID702 (2025-08-27), ID780 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.1% by land area here, and 16% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 16% of Lincoln County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 7.39 in, 2.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 10.36 in.
USDA rates 86% 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 Lincoln County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 10.36 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 7.39 in (-2.97) |
| 2025 | 8.34 in (-2.02) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1907: 18.83 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2013: 4.62 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RICHFIELD (4 mi away) | 0.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,989 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $255,600 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerome County, ID | 21 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| Minidoka County, ID | 28 mi | 1% | 7% |
| Blaine County, ID | 30 mi | 11% | 4% |
| Gooding County, ID | 34 mi | 26% | under 1% |
| Camas County, ID | 47 mi | 19% | 22% |
| Twin Falls County, ID | 51 mi | 13% | 1% |
| Cassia County, ID | 56 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Butte County, ID | 69 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