Perry County, Illinois
A shallow water table limits basements on 75% of Perry County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 24%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 0% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 61% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Perry County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 24.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 74.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.2% |
| Mapped soil | 286,015 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Bluford | 9% | 100% |
| Hoyleton | 8% | n/a |
| Bonnie | 8% | n/a |
| Blair | 7% | n/a |
| Lenzburg | 7% | n/a |
| Cisne | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IL145 (2025-08-31)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.6% 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 24% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 24% of Perry County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 75% of Perry 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: 32.56 in, 12.47 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.03 in.
USDA rates 93% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 16 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $34,465 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.03 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.56 in (-12.47) |
| 2025 | 35.39 in (-9.64) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 64.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 24.91 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DU QUOIN 4 SE (12 mi away) | 13.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,152 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 61% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $112,600 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, IL | 19 mi | 36% | 91% |
| Jackson County, IL | 21 mi | 26% | 62% |
| Randolph County, IL | 25 mi | 24% | 64% |
| Franklin County, IL | 25 mi | 31% | 88% |
| Jefferson County, IL | 28 mi | 26% | 87% |
| Williamson County, IL | 34 mi | 16% | 74% |
| Perry County, MO | 35 mi | 19% | 32% |
| Clinton County, IL | 36 mi | 44% | 88% |
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