Ford County, Illinois
A shallow water table limits basements on 98% of Ford County's mapped land, a higher share than 100% of US counties and the highest of 102 Illinois counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 55%.
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. 82% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1955.
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 Ford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 54.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 97.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 54.7% |
| Mapped soil | 310,825 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Ashkum | 15% | n/a |
| Bryce | 14% | n/a |
| Elliott | 13% | n/a |
| Drummer | 10% | over 99% |
| Swygert | 8% | n/a |
| Pella | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IL053 (2025-08-31)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.1% by land area here, and 55% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 55% of the mapped land.
On 98% of Ford 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: 36.96 in, 1.99 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.95 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 weeks, most recently on the March 31, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| 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, $3,539 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.95 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.96 in (-1.99) |
| 2025 | 27.52 in (-11.43) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 54.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 22.67 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PAXTON 2 WSW (11 mi away) | 8.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,263 |
| Median year built | 1955 |
| Built before 1980 | 82% |
| Built 2000 or later | 6% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $122,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iroquois County, IL | 23 mi | 44% | 93% |
| Livingston County, IL | 27 mi | 53% | 96% |
| Champaign County, IL | 32 mi | 26% | 94% |
| McLean County, IL | 33 mi | 54% | 85% |
| Vermilion County, IL | 39 mi | 34% | 90% |
| Kankakee County, IL | 42 mi | 19% | 80% |
| Piatt County, IL | 45 mi | 57% | 94% |
| De Witt County, IL | 46 mi | 69% | 87% |
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