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Boyle County, Kentucky

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20% of Boyle County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 5%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

20%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

5%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

55%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Boyle County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)20.0%
High water table (limits basements)5.5%
Septic fields very limited81.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)15.6%
Mapped soil116,986 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Lowell12%76%
McAfee11%n/a
Eden9%6%
Caleast9%n/a
Garmon7%n/a
Maury5%n/a
Mercer County: 22%Lincoln County: 8%Garrard County: 18%Washington County: 23%Casey County: 1%Marion County: 5%Jessamine County: 27%Anderson County: 25%Boyle County MercerLincolnGarrardWashingtonCaseyMarionJessamineAndersonBoyle
Boyle 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 KY606 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 16% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 54.49 in, 4.63 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 49.86 in.

USDA rates 82% 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 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the June 9, 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

8 flood losses since 2016, $142,053 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20183
20191
20200
20213
20220
20231
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202049.86 in
12 months to August 202654.49 in (+4.63)
202569.22 in (+19.36)
Wettest year since 18952025: 69.22 in
Driest year since 18951930: 27.75 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DANVILLE (6 mi away)12.3

Homes

Housing units13,010
Median year built1978
Built before 198055%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied68%
Median value, owner-occupied$209,900
Single-family detached75%

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
Mercer County, KY 13 mi 22% 4%
Lincoln County, KY 16 mi 8% 14%
Garrard County, KY 18 mi 18% 5%
Washington County, KY 19 mi 23% 5%
Casey County, KY 21 mi 1% 13%
Marion County, KY 22 mi 5% 14%
Jessamine County, KY 23 mi 27% 4%
Anderson County, KY 28 mi 25% 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