Dubois County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Dubois County's mapped land, a higher share than 67% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Dubois County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 50.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.0% |
| Mapped soil | 278,592 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Gilpin | 33% | under 1% |
| Zanesville | 13% | 97% |
| Stendal | 10% | n/a |
| Apalona | 8% | n/a |
| Otwell | 5% | n/a |
| Steff | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IN037 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 50% of Dubois 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: 48.64 in, 1.05 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.69 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the March 3, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 38.7% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
10 flood losses since 2016, $369,301 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 48.64 in (-1.05) |
| 2025 | 53.24 in (+3.55) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2006: 68.16 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 30.34 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DUBOIS S IN FORAGE FM (11 mi away) | 14.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,836 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $230,100 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County, IN | 20 mi | 1% | 53% |
| Martin County, IN | 23 mi | 3% | 30% |
| Orange County, IN | 24 mi | 13% | 24% |
| Crawford County, IN | 24 mi | 9% | 26% |
| Perry County, IN | 24 mi | 27% | 48% |
| Daviess County, IN | 25 mi | 5% | 64% |
| Spencer County, IN | 26 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Warrick County, IN | 29 mi | 6% | 60% |
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