Carroll County, Kentucky
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17% of Carroll County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 9%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 32 flood losses here since 2016, 7% of them in buildings with basements. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Carroll County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 8.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.4% |
| Mapped soil | 87,916 acres |
How we count · survey areas KY612 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 11% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 17% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 48.27 in, 0.15 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.42 in.
USDA rates 78% 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. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 97.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
32 flood losses since 2016, $1.1 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 23. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 7% basements, 36% slabs, 25% crawl spaces, 32% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 19.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 23 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.42 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 48.27 in (-0.15) |
| 2025 | 49.28 in (+0.86) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 65.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 25.63 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WARSAW MARKLAND DAM (11 mi away) | 12.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,693 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $140,900 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland County, IN | 12 mi | 41% | 40% |
| Trimble County, KY | 13 mi | 6% | 11% |
| Henry County, KY | 15 mi | 30% | 11% |
| Gallatin County, KY | 15 mi | 11% | 10% |
| Jefferson County, IN | 19 mi | 13% | 56% |
| Owen County, KY | 19 mi | 15% | 6% |
| Ohio County, IN | 21 mi | 40% | 28% |
| Oldham County, KY | 26 mi | 7% | 17% |
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