Christian County, Illinois
A shallow water table limits basements on 86% of Christian County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 72%.
None 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. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1963.
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 Christian County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 72.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 85.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 56.1% |
| Mapped soil | 458,340 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Virden | 18% | n/a |
| Herrick | 16% | n/a |
| Ipava | 12% | 100% |
| Sable | 9% | n/a |
| Harrison | 5% | n/a |
| Oconee | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IL021 (2025-08-31)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.8% by land area here, and 56% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 72% of the mapped land.
On 86% of Christian 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: 38.47 in, 1.71 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.18 in.
USDA rates 88% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 22 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 21 weeks, most recently on the March 10, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 55.8% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $13,114 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.18 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.47 in (-1.71) |
| 2025 | 30.87 in (-9.31) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1927: 54.61 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1914: 23.00 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PANA (16 mi away) | 10.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 15,184 |
| Median year built | 1963 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $115,500 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, IL | 24 mi | 68% | 88% |
| Sangamon County, IL | 25 mi | 58% | 72% |
| Macon County, IL | 28 mi | 57% | 88% |
| Shelby County, IL | 28 mi | 38% | 82% |
| Moultrie County, IL | 35 mi | 68% | 89% |
| Macoupin County, IL | 40 mi | 62% | 78% |
| Fayette County, IL | 40 mi | 35% | 81% |
| Logan County, IL | 41 mi | 45% | 71% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 31, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status