Harrison County, Indiana
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 53% of Harrison County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% of US counties and the 4th highest of 92 Indiana counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 17%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 79 flood losses here since 2016, 22% of them in buildings with basements. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.
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 Harrison County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 52.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 16.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 75.9% |
| Mapped soil | 311,053 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Crider | 17% | 3% |
| Caneyville | 15% | n/a |
| Vertrees | 13% | n/a |
| Haggatt | 13% | n/a |
| Knobcreek | 6% | n/a |
| Bedford | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IN061 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.5% by land area here, and 76% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 53% of the mapped land.
On 17% of Harrison 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: 49.24 in, 0.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.38 in.
USDA rates 79% 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 7 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 29.9% of its area, on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
79 flood losses since 2016, $6.7 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 27. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 22% basements, 33% slabs, 10% crawl spaces, 35% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 44 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 26 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 27 |
| 2026 to date | 7 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.38 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 49.24 in (-0.14) |
| 2025 | 55.50 in (+6.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 65.97 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 28.40 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CORYDON (2 mi away) | 13.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,953 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $229,600 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floyd County, IN | 14 mi | 27% | 20% |
| Meade County, KY | 16 mi | 1% | 12% |
| Crawford County, IN | 20 mi | 9% | 26% |
| Jefferson County, KY | 24 mi | 2% | 22% |
| Bullitt County, KY | 27 mi | 13% | 21% |
| Washington County, IN | 29 mi | 16% | 31% |
| Clark County, IN | 29 mi | 13% | 44% |
| Perry County, IN | 29 mi | 27% | 48% |
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