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Breckinridge County, Kentucky

A shallow water table limits basements on 28% of Breckinridge County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

28%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

38%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Breckinridge County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.3%
High water table (limits basements)28.1%
Septic fields very limited73.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.5%
Mapped soil374,873 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Rosine17%n/a
Gilpin12%under 1%
Zanesville12%97%
Sadler11%n/a
Crider6%0%
Lenberg6%n/a
Meade County: 12%Hancock County: 36%Perry County: 48%Grayson County: 37%Hardin County: 17%Ohio County: 42%Harrison County: 17%Crawford County: 26%Breckinridge County MeadeHancockPerryGraysonHardinOhioHarrisonCrawfordBreckinridge
Breckinridge County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas KY607 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 28% of Breckinridge 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: 51.05 in, 0.05 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.10 in.

USDA rates 74% 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 5 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

4 flood losses since 2016, $78,049 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20183
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202051.10 in
12 months to August 202651.05 in (-0.05)
202562.89 in (+11.79)
Wettest year since 18951979: 71.96 in
Driest year since 18951930: 28.28 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROUGH RVR LAKE (12 mi away)14.7

Homes

Housing units10,799
Median year built1990
Built before 198038%
Built 2000 or later29%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$156,700
Single-family detached67%

What repairs cost

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

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Meade County, KY 18 mi 1% 12%
Hancock County, KY 20 mi 1% 36%
Perry County, IN 23 mi 27% 48%
Grayson County, KY 23 mi 1% 37%
Hardin County, KY 27 mi 7% 17%
Ohio County, KY 31 mi 2% 42%
Harrison County, IN 33 mi 53% 17%
Crawford County, IN 35 mi 9% 26%

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