Kane County, Illinois
A shallow water table limits basements on 82% of Kane County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 71 flood losses here since 2016, 63% of them in buildings with basements. 45% 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 Kane County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 81.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.0% |
| Mapped soil | 335,650 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Drummer | 17% | over 99% |
| Kidami | 5% | n/a |
| Elpaso | 4% | n/a |
| Octagon | 4% | n/a |
| Danabrook | 4% | n/a |
| Dresden | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IL089 (2025-08-31)
What the numbers mean here
On 82% of Kane 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: 40.39 in, 2.45 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 37.94 in.
USDA rates 97% 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 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the June 9, 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
71 flood losses since 2016, $855,998 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 26. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 63% basements, 18% slabs, 16% crawl spaces, 3% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 26 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 19 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 8 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.94 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.39 in (+2.45) |
| 2025 | 30.50 in (-7.44) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 50.15 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 21.43 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ELGIN (11 mi away) | 9.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 190,921 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $327,000 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County, IL | 18 mi | 28% | 98% |
| DuPage County, IL | 19 mi | 33% | 90% |
| Kendall County, IL | 24 mi | 26% | 85% |
| McHenry County, IL | 27 mi | 2% | 54% |
| Boone County, IL | 33 mi | 6% | 55% |
| Lake County, IL | 36 mi | 16% | 87% |
| Cook County, IL | 40 mi | 25% | 59% |
| Will County, IL | 41 mi | 24% | 85% |
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