Barren County, Kentucky
A shallow water table limits basements on 17% of Barren County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
89.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 96.7% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Barren County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 17.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 53.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.0% |
| Mapped soil | 320,083 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Baxter | 27% | n/a |
| Vertrees | 11% | n/a |
| Dickson | 8% | n/a |
| Trimble | 6% | n/a |
| Crider | 6% | 0% |
| Christian | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KY646 (2025-09-08), KY648 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 17% of Barren 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: 43.56 in, 9.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.70 in.
USDA rates 53% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
89.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 17 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the June 9, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 89.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $174,281 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.70 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.56 in (-9.14) |
| 2025 | 61.81 in (+9.11) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 68.04 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 29.77 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BARREN RVR LAKE (12 mi away) | 14.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,283 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $178,000 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metcalfe County, KY | 17 mi | 3% | 12% |
| Allen County, KY | 21 mi | 0% | 12% |
| Monroe County, KY | 21 mi | 0% | 8% |
| Hart County, KY | 24 mi | 7% | 4% |
| Edmonson County, KY | 24 mi | 6% | 21% |
| Warren County, KY | 27 mi | 8% | 13% |
| Macon County, TN | 30 mi | 10% | 16% |
| Green County, KY | 30 mi | 17% | 10% |
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