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Butler County, Kentucky

A shallow water table limits basements on 33% of Butler County's mapped land, a higher share than 52% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.

100% 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. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

10%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

33%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

40%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Butler County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)9.7%
High water table (limits basements)33.3%
Septic fields very limited76.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)9.7%
Mapped soil276,141 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Newark12%n/a
Gilpin10%under 1%
Shelocta10%4%
Latham9%n/a
Caneyville6%n/a
Rosine5%n/a
Warren County: 13%Ohio County: 42%Muhlenberg County: 46%Grayson County: 37%Edmonson County: 21%Logan County: 24%Simpson County: 11%Todd County: 29%Butler County WarrenOhioMuhlenbergGraysonEdmonsonLoganSimpsonToddButler
Butler 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 KY709 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 33% of Butler 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: 48.20 in, 3.78 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.98 in.

USDA rates 76% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

4 flood losses since 2016, $326,993 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20254
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202051.98 in
12 months to August 202648.20 in (-3.78)
202565.27 in (+13.29)
Wettest year since 18951979: 74.92 in
Driest year since 18951930: 28.54 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ABERDEEN (2 mi away)15.4

Homes

Housing units5,455
Median year built1988
Built before 198040%
Built 2000 or later28%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$111,100
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
Warren County, KY 20 mi 8% 13%
Ohio County, KY 21 mi 2% 42%
Muhlenberg County, KY 25 mi 2% 46%
Grayson County, KY 25 mi 1% 37%
Edmonson County, KY 26 mi 6% 21%
Logan County, KY 26 mi 1% 24%
Simpson County, KY 33 mi 1% 11%
Todd County, KY 37 mi under 1% 29%

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