HomeKentuckyAnderson County

Anderson County, Kentucky

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25% of Anderson County's mapped land, a higher share than 76% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 32% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

25%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

4%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

32%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Anderson County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)25.4%
High water table (limits basements)3.9%
Septic fields very limited81.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)5.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)22.8%
Mapped soil130,771 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Eden35%6%
Faywood24%n/a
Lowell11%76%
Fairmount8%n/a
Boonesboro5%n/a
Elk3%n/a
Woodford County: 31%Mercer County: 22%Franklin County: 20%Spencer County: 23%Washington County: 23%Shelby County: 47%Jessamine County: 27%Boyle County: 20%Anderson County WoodfordMercerFranklinSpencerWashingtonShelbyJessamineBoyleAnderson
Anderson County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas KY601 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.0% by land area here, and 23% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 53.11 in, 2.97 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 50.14 in.

USDA rates 81% 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 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

11 flood losses since 2016, $837,772 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 8.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20191
20200
20212
20220
20230
20240
20258
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202050.14 in
12 months to August 202653.11 in (+2.97)
202566.47 in (+16.33)
Wettest year since 18952018: 70.05 in
Driest year since 18951930: 28.72 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LEXINGTON BLUEGRASS AP (21 mi away)12.1

Homes

Housing units10,326
Median year built1989
Built before 198032%
Built 2000 or later22%
Owner-occupied78%
Median value, owner-occupied$225,100
Single-family detached83%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Woodford County, KY 13 mi 31% 4%
Mercer County, KY 15 mi 22% 4%
Franklin County, KY 17 mi 20% 6%
Spencer County, KY 18 mi 23% 7%
Washington County, KY 20 mi 23% 5%
Shelby County, KY 21 mi 47% 12%
Jessamine County, KY 24 mi 27% 4%
Boyle County, KY 28 mi 20% 5%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status