Boyd County, Kentucky
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 40% of Boyd County's mapped land, a higher share than 87% of US counties and the 5th highest of 120 Kentucky counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 25%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 47 flood losses here since 2016, 14% of them in buildings with basements. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Boyd County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 39.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 24.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 39.8% |
| Mapped soil | 103,686 acres |
How we count · survey areas KY605 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 40% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 40% of the mapped land.
On 25% of Boyd 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: 40.55 in, 5.15 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.70 in.
USDA rates 76% 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 7 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 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
47 flood losses since 2016, $1.8 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 14. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 14% basements, 24% slabs, 48% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 14 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 12 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.70 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.55 in (-5.15) |
| 2025 | 48.38 in (+2.68) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 59.98 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 24.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at S PT (7 mi away) | 11.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 21,742 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $130,700 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County, OH | 19 mi | 29% | 11% |
| Greenup County, KY | 20 mi | 27% | 34% |
| Carter County, KY | 20 mi | 27% | 35% |
| Lawrence County, KY | 20 mi | 17% | 14% |
| Wayne County, WV | 21 mi | 17% | 28% |
| Cabell County, WV | 24 mi | 21% | 11% |
| Elliott County, KY | 28 mi | 4% | 15% |
| Lincoln County, WV | 35 mi | 10% | 4% |
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