Casey County, Kentucky
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Casey County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 13%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Casey County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 12.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 70.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.8% |
| Mapped soil | 285,107 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Garmon | 23% | n/a |
| Frankstown | 21% | n/a |
| Carpenter | 7% | n/a |
| Pricetown | 6% | n/a |
| Frederick | 6% | 23% |
| Lenberg | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KY045 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 51.84 in, 0.54 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.38 in.
USDA rates 70% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 13% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Casey County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 15 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $1.1 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.38 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 51.84 in (-0.54) |
| 2025 | 67.31 in (+14.93) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 69.89 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 29.94 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SOMERSET 2 N (22 mi away) | 14.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,420 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $136,300 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, KY | 18 mi | 8% | 14% |
| Boyle County, KY | 21 mi | 20% | 5% |
| Taylor County, KY | 22 mi | 4% | 12% |
| Russell County, KY | 24 mi | 1% | 7% |
| Pulaski County, KY | 24 mi | 6% | 15% |
| Adair County, KY | 25 mi | 19% | 13% |
| Marion County, KY | 25 mi | 5% | 14% |
| Garrard County, KY | 30 mi | 18% | 5% |
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