Woodford County, Illinois
A shallow water table limits basements on 81% of Woodford County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 49%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 23 flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Woodford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 49.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 80.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 33.1% |
| Mapped soil | 347,410 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Elpaso | 10% | n/a |
| Ipava | 10% | 100% |
| Flanagan | 9% | n/a |
| Sable | 8% | n/a |
| Streator | 5% | n/a |
| Senachwine | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IL203 (2025-09-01)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.1% by land area here, and 33% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 49% of the mapped land.
On 81% of Woodford 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: 37.98 in, 0.25 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 37.73 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 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
23 flood losses since 2016, $640,823 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 11.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.73 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.98 in (+0.25) |
| 2025 | 29.21 in (-8.52) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 53.30 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 23.52 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CONGERVILLE 2NW (12 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 15,758 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 86% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $197,600 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall County, IL | 18 mi | 36% | 66% |
| Tazewell County, IL | 25 mi | 33% | 53% |
| McLean County, IL | 28 mi | 54% | 85% |
| Putnam County, IL | 29 mi | 23% | 50% |
| Peoria County, IL | 29 mi | 29% | 37% |
| Livingston County, IL | 35 mi | 53% | 96% |
| Stark County, IL | 37 mi | 36% | 52% |
| LaSalle County, IL | 42 mi | 37% | 84% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 1, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status