Crawford County, Illinois
A shallow water table limits basements on 81% of Crawford County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 43%.
None 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. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1965.
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 Crawford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 43.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 81.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 43.1% |
| Mapped soil | 285,320 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Bluford | 13% | 100% |
| Cisne | 10% | n/a |
| Wynoose | 8% | n/a |
| Ava | 7% | n/a |
| Wakeland | 6% | n/a |
| Carmi | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IL033 (2025-08-31)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 43% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 43% of the mapped land.
On 81% of Crawford 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: 42.64 in, 2.44 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.08 in.
USDA rates 96% 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 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the March 3, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Crawford County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.08 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.64 in (-2.44) |
| 2025 | 42.60 in (-2.48) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 58.93 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 27.22 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PALESTINE (7 mi away) | 12.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,457 |
| Median year built | 1965 |
| Built before 1980 | 70% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $121,100 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan County, IN | 20 mi | 2% | 61% |
| Lawrence County, IL | 20 mi | 23% | 78% |
| Jasper County, IL | 21 mi | 51% | 89% |
| Clark County, IL | 23 mi | 29% | 77% |
| Richland County, IL | 27 mi | 44% | 93% |
| Knox County, IN | 28 mi | 8% | 46% |
| Cumberland County, IL | 32 mi | 39% | 84% |
| Vigo County, IN | 36 mi | 1% | 58% |
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