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Kentucky soil by county

Across Kentucky's mapped land, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9% and a shallow water table limits basements on 21%.

Highest clay shares: Bourbon County (56%), Shelby County (47%), Mason County (43%), Fayette County (40%), Boyd County (40%). Highest water-table shares: McLean County (81%), Hickman County (77%), McCracken County (73%), Carlisle County (72%), Webster County (69%).

Data as of September 22, 2026 · 120 counties

Adair County: 19%Allen County: 0%Anderson County: 25%Ballard County: 2%Barren County: 1%Bath County: 15%Bell County: 0%Boone County: 7%Bourbon County: 56%Boyd County: 40%Boyle County: 20%Bracken County: 8%Breathitt County: 0%Breckinridge County: 0%Bullitt County: 13%Butler County: 10%Caldwell County: 6%Calloway County: 0%Campbell County: 14%Carlisle County: 3%Carroll County: 17%Carter County: 27%Casey County: 1%Christian County: 0%Clark County: 27%Clay County: 0%Clinton County: 1%Crittenden County: 1%Cumberland County: 0%Daviess County: 7%Edmonson County: 6%Elliott County: 4%Estill County: 3%Fayette County: 40%Fleming County: 21%Floyd County: 0%Franklin County: 20%Fulton County: 15%Gallatin County: 11%Garrard County: 18%Grant County: 23%Graves County: 0%Grayson County: 1%Green County: 17%Greenup County: 27%Hancock County: 1%Hardin County: 7%Harlan County: 0%Harrison County: 11%Hart County: 7%Henderson County: 5%Henry County: 30%Hickman County: 3%Hopkins County: 11%Jackson County: 3%Jefferson County: 2%Jessamine County: 27%Johnson County: 0%Kenton County: 14%Knott County: 0%Knox County: 16%Larue County: 4%Laurel County: 12%Lawrence County: 17%Lee County: 4%Leslie County: 0%Letcher County: 0%Lewis County: 1%Lincoln County: 8%Livingston County: 3%Logan County: 1%Lyon County: 0%Madison County: 13%Magoffin County: 4%Marion County: 5%Marshall County: 1%Martin County: 0%Mason County: 43%McCracken County: 6%McCreary County: 0%McLean County: 16%Meade County: 1%Menifee County: 17%Mercer County: 22%Metcalfe County: 3%Monroe County: 0%Montgomery County: 13%Morgan County: 9%Muhlenberg County: 2%Nelson County: 16%Nicholas County: 29%Ohio County: 2%Oldham County: 7%Owen County: 15%Owsley County: 0%Pendleton County: 14%Perry County: 0%Pike County: 0%Powell County: 2%Pulaski County: 6%Robertson County: 7%Rockcastle County: 11%Rowan County: 8%Russell County: 1%Scott County: 31%Shelby County: 47%Simpson County: 1%Spencer County: 23%Taylor County: 4%Todd County: 0%Trigg County: 0%Trimble County: 6%Union County: 4%Warren County: 8%Washington County: 23%Wayne County: 9%Webster County: 10%Whitley County: 6%Wolfe County: 9%Woodford County: 31%
Expansive clay: share of mapped land where shrink-swell clay limits houses without basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+
Adair County: 13%Allen County: 12%Anderson County: 4%Ballard County: 67%Barren County: 17%Bath County: 18%Bell County: 1%Boone County: 29%Bourbon County: 5%Boyd County: 25%Boyle County: 5%Bracken County: 4%Breathitt County: 3%Breckinridge County: 28%Bullitt County: 21%Butler County: 33%Caldwell County: 43%Calloway County: 54%Campbell County: 16%Carlisle County: 72%Carroll County: 9%Carter County: 35%Casey County: 13%Christian County: 34%Clark County: 9%Clay County: 2%Clinton County: 2%Crittenden County: 54%Cumberland County: 3%Daviess County: 64%Edmonson County: 21%Elliott County: 15%Estill County: 8%Fayette County: 13%Fleming County: 12%Floyd County: 1%Franklin County: 6%Fulton County: 65%Gallatin County: 10%Garrard County: 5%Grant County: 9%Graves County: 60%Grayson County: 37%Green County: 10%Greenup County: 34%Hancock County: 36%Hardin County: 17%Harlan County: 1%Harrison County: 3%Hart County: 4%Henderson County: 63%Henry County: 11%Hickman County: 77%Hopkins County: 64%Jackson County: 0%Jefferson County: 22%Jessamine County: 4%Johnson County: 1%Kenton County: 26%Knott County: 0%Knox County: 34%Larue County: 19%Laurel County: 26%Lawrence County: 14%Lee County: 4%Leslie County: 5%Letcher County: 0%Lewis County: 13%Lincoln County: 14%Livingston County: 49%Logan County: 24%Lyon County: 18%Madison County: 19%Magoffin County: 5%Marion County: 14%Marshall County: 57%Martin County: 1%Mason County: 5%McCracken County: 73%McCreary County: 1%McLean County: 81%Meade County: 12%Menifee County: 15%Mercer County: 4%Metcalfe County: 12%Monroe County: 8%Montgomery County: 16%Morgan County: 13%Muhlenberg County: 46%Nelson County: 14%Nicholas County: 2%Ohio County: 42%Oldham County: 17%Owen County: 6%Owsley County: 0%Pendleton County: 8%Perry County: 3%Pike County: 2%Powell County: 9%Pulaski County: 15%Robertson County: 2%Rockcastle County: 19%Rowan County: 21%Russell County: 7%Scott County: 3%Shelby County: 12%Simpson County: 11%Spencer County: 7%Taylor County: 12%Todd County: 29%Trigg County: 13%Trimble County: 11%Union County: 53%Warren County: 13%Washington County: 5%Wayne County: 4%Webster County: 69%Whitley County: 18%Wolfe County: 11%Woodford County: 4%
High water table: share of mapped land where a shallow water table limits basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

Every county in Kentucky

Select a column heading to sort.
Adair County 19% 13% 0% 1 1984
Allen County 0% 12% 54% 7 1992
Anderson County 25% 4% 0% 11 1989
Ballard County 2% 67% 0% 3 1982
Barren County 1% 17% 0% 5 1985
Bath County 15% 18% 0% 26 1984
Bell County 0% 1% 0% 63 1979
Boone County 7% 29% 0% 11 1996
Bourbon County 56% 5% 0% 21 1979
Boyd County 40% 25% 0% 47 1972
Boyle County 20% 5% 0% 8 1978
Bracken County 8% 4% 0% 11 1986
Breathitt County 0% 3% 0% 123 1989
Breckinridge County under 1% 28% 0% 4 1990
Bullitt County 13% 21% 0% 73 1993
Butler County 10% 33% 0% 4 1988
Caldwell County 6% 43% 0% 5 1975
Calloway County under 1% 54% 0% 12 1983
Campbell County 14% 16% 0% 75 1972
Carlisle County 3% 72% 0% 1 1979
Carroll County 17% 9% 0% 32 1983
Carter County 27% 35% 0% 39 1984
Casey County 1% 13% 0% 11 1985
Christian County under 1% 34% 10% 114 1983
Clark County 27% 9% 0% 77 1979
Clay County 0% 2% 0% 21 1989
Clinton County 1% 2% 0% 1 1983
Crittenden County 1% 54% 0% 2 1975
Cumberland County 0% 3% 4% 0 1986
Daviess County 7% 64% 0% 84 1977
Edmonson County 6% 21% 0% 0 1990
Elliott County 4% 15% 0% 1 1987
Estill County 3% 8% 0% 37 1981
Fayette County 40% 13% 0% 33 1984
Fleming County 21% 12% 0% 8 1986
Floyd County 0% 1% 0% 528 1982
Franklin County 20% 6% 0% 187 1977
Fulton County 15% 65% 0% 7 1972
Gallatin County 11% 10% 0% 25 1993
Garrard County 18% 5% 0% 11 1988
Grant County 23% 9% 0% 1 1990
Graves County under 1% 60% 0% 19 1977
Grayson County 1% 37% 0% 5 1988
Green County 17% 10% 0% 3 1976
Greenup County 27% 34% 0% 157 1975
Hancock County 1% 36% 0% 7 1981
Hardin County 7% 17% 0% 170 1988
Harlan County 0% 1% 0% 36 1976
Harrison County 11% 3% 0% 11 1982
Hart County 7% 4% 0% 6 1983
Henderson County 5% 63% 0% 82 1976
Henry County 30% 11% 0% 3 1977
Hickman County 3% 77% 0% 0 1975
Hopkins County 11% 64% 0% 28 1976
Jackson County 3% under 1% 0% 9 1990
Jefferson County 2% 22% 0% 662 1972
Jessamine County 27% 4% 0% 34 1992
Johnson County 0% 1% 0% 98 1983
Kenton County 14% 26% 0% 70 1974
Knott County 0% under 1% 0% 103 1982
Knox County 16% 34% 0% 24 1985
Larue County 4% 19% 0% 0 1983
Laurel County 12% 26% 0% 6 1992
Lawrence County 17% 14% 0% 11 1989
Lee County 4% 4% 0% 22 1988
Leslie County 0% 5% 0% 7 1984
Letcher County 0% under 1% 0% 136 1979
Lewis County 1% 13% 0% 3 1985
Lincoln County 8% 14% 0% 2 1986
Livingston County 3% 49% 0% 9 1978
Logan County 1% 24% 79% 12 1978
Lyon County 0% 18% 0% 0 1989
Madison County 13% 19% 0% 59 1993
Magoffin County 4% 5% 0% 45 1986
Marion County 5% 14% 0% 1 1984
Marshall County 1% 57% 0% 20 1983
Martin County 0% 1% 0% 94 1984
Mason County 43% 5% 0% 2 1977
McCracken County 6% 73% 0% 97 1978
McCreary County 0% 1% 0% 1 1987
McLean County 16% 81% 0% 29 1976
Meade County 1% 12% 0% 10 1990
Menifee County 17% 15% 0% 17 1989
Mercer County 22% 4% 0% 35 1978
Metcalfe County 3% 12% 0% 0 1986
Monroe County 0% 8% 53% 2 1977
Montgomery County 13% 16% 0% 18 1987
Morgan County 9% 13% 0% 29 1991
Muhlenberg County 2% 46% 0% 9 1978
Nelson County 16% 14% 0% 32 1992
Nicholas County 29% 2% 0% 10 1972
Ohio County 2% 42% 0% 4 1984
Oldham County 7% 17% 0% 364 1994
Owen County 15% 6% 0% 13 1988
Owsley County 0% under 1% 0% 3 1990
Pendleton County 14% 8% 0% 22 1979
Perry County 0% 3% 0% 129 1985
Pike County 0% 2% 0% 527 1985
Powell County 2% 9% 0% 42 1985
Pulaski County 6% 15% 0% 12 1986
Robertson County 7% 2% 0% 0 1985
Rockcastle County 11% 19% 0% 12 1990
Rowan County 8% 21% 0% 37 1992
Russell County 1% 7% 0% 2 1991
Scott County 31% 3% 0% 18 2000
Shelby County 47% 12% 0% 13 1993
Simpson County 1% 11% 78% 13 1979
Spencer County 23% 7% 0% 14 2000
Taylor County 4% 12% 0% 2 1978
Todd County under 1% 29% 89% 11 1984
Trigg County under 1% 13% 0% 0 1985
Trimble County 6% 11% 0% 11 1989
Union County 4% 53% 0% 2 1976
Warren County 8% 13% 0% 34 1993
Washington County 23% 5% 0% 10 1982
Wayne County 9% 4% 0% 1 1986
Webster County 10% 69% 0% 6 1977
Whitley County 6% 18% 0% 5 1987
Wolfe County 9% 11% 0% 0 1990
Woodford County 31% 4% 0% 135 1984

How these shares are counted

Shares are of mapped land in USDA's soil survey (SSURGO), weighted by each soil's share of every map unit. Drought is the US Drought Monitor's D1-or-worse share on the September 22, 2026 map. Flood losses are FEMA NFIP records since 2016. Sources and methods.