Perry County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 48% of Perry County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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) | 26.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 47.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 29.8% |
| Mapped soil | 246,886 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Adyeville | 17% | n/a |
| Ebal | 13% | n/a |
| Deuchars | 8% | n/a |
| Apalona | 8% | n/a |
| Tipsaw | 8% | n/a |
| Wellston | 6% | under 1% |
How we count · survey areas IN123 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.1% by land area here, and 30% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
On 48% 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: 51.28 in, 0.93 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 50.35 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 8 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 98.9% of its area, on the April 21, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 87.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
12 flood losses since 2016, $172,402 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.35 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 51.28 in (+0.93) |
| 2025 | 58.74 in (+8.39) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1950: 70.63 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 28.13 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TELL CITY (12 mi away) | 14.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,597 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $163,400 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County, IN | 18 mi | 9% | 26% |
| Hancock County, KY | 19 mi | 1% | 36% |
| Spencer County, IN | 21 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Breckinridge County, KY | 23 mi | under 1% | 28% |
| Dubois County, IN | 24 mi | under 1% | 50% |
| Meade County, KY | 24 mi | 1% | 12% |
| Harrison County, IN | 29 mi | 53% | 17% |
| Orange County, IN | 33 mi | 13% | 24% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status