Edwards County, Illinois
A shallow water table limits basements on 92% of Edwards County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21%.
65.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 9.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Edwards County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 21.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 92.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 30.6% |
| Mapped soil | 142,585 acres |
How we count · survey areas IL047 (2025-08-31)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 31% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 65.9% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 21% of Edwards County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 92% of Edwards 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: 38.94 in, 8.15 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.09 in.
USDA rates 93% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
65.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 26 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 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 | 65.9% |
| 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 Edwards County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.09 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.94 in (-8.15) |
| 2025 | 44.77 in (-2.32) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1945: 66.12 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 29.17 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FAIRFIELD RADIO WFIW (15 mi away) | 11.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,045 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $100,000 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wabash County, IL | 11 mi | 14% | 74% |
| Richland County, IL | 21 mi | 44% | 93% |
| Wayne County, IL | 21 mi | 26% | 94% |
| White County, IL | 24 mi | 12% | 75% |
| Gibson County, IN | 26 mi | 4% | 62% |
| Lawrence County, IL | 27 mi | 23% | 78% |
| Posey County, IN | 29 mi | 4% | 54% |
| Clay County, IL | 33 mi | 44% | 91% |
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