Daviess County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 64% of Daviess County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
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. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Daviess County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 63.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.2% |
| Mapped soil | 279,418 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hosmer | 13% | over 99% |
| Fairpoint | 7% | n/a |
| Lyles | 6% | n/a |
| Haymond | 5% | n/a |
| Wakeland | 5% | n/a |
| Ayrshire | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IN027 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 64% of Daviess 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: 45.99 in, 1.83 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.82 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 3 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 31.3% of its area, on the March 3, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 64.8% |
| 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, $124,529 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.82 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.99 in (-1.83) |
| 2025 | 50.62 in (+2.80) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1950: 62.81 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 29.43 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WASHINGTON 1 W (7 mi away) | 14.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 12,887 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $197,200 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin County, IN | 15 mi | 3% | 30% |
| Knox County, IN | 19 mi | 8% | 46% |
| Pike County, IN | 22 mi | 1% | 53% |
| Greene County, IN | 25 mi | 9% | 52% |
| Dubois County, IN | 25 mi | under 1% | 50% |
| Sullivan County, IN | 33 mi | 2% | 61% |
| Lawrence County, IN | 33 mi | 26% | 20% |
| Orange County, IN | 33 mi | 13% | 24% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status