Pulaski County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 90% of Pulaski County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 20 flood losses here since 2016. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Pulaski County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 89.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.6% |
| Mapped soil | 278,106 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Maumee | 21% | n/a |
| Brookston | 9% | n/a |
| Morocco | 8% | n/a |
| Brems | 6% | n/a |
| Oakville | 6% | n/a |
| Denham | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IN131 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 90% of Pulaski 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: 42.18 in, 1.40 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 40.78 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 77.9% of its area, on the March 24, 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
20 flood losses since 2016, $514,565 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 19.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 19 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.78 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.18 in (+1.40) |
| 2025 | 32.02 in (-8.76) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 51.76 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1914: 26.43 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WINAMAC 2SSE (6 mi away) | 8.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,850 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $156,400 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starke County, IN | 17 mi | 0% | 84% |
| White County, IN | 22 mi | under 1% | 81% |
| Fulton County, IN | 22 mi | under 1% | 64% |
| Jasper County, IN | 22 mi | 5% | 86% |
| Cass County, IN | 27 mi | 6% | 65% |
| Marshall County, IN | 29 mi | 1% | 58% |
| Carroll County, IN | 32 mi | 5% | 71% |
| LaPorte County, IN | 35 mi | under 1% | 52% |
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