Christian County, Kentucky
A shallow water table limits basements on 34% of Christian County's mapped land, a higher share than 52% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
94.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 114 flood losses here since 2016, 7% of them in buildings with basements. 46% 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 Christian County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 33.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 55.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 463,417 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Pembroke | 15% | n/a |
| Crider | 11% | 0% |
| Zanesville | 10% | 97% |
| Frondorf | 8% | n/a |
| Wellston | 7% | under 1% |
| Nicholson | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KY047 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 34% of Christian 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: 36.58 in, 15.06 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.64 in.
USDA rates 56% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
94.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 94.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
114 flood losses since 2016, $4.7 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 76. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 7% basements, 20% slabs, 56% crawl spaces, 17% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 22 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 15 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 76 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.64 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.58 in (-15.06) |
| 2025 | 50.56 in (-1.08) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 69.88 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 30.23 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CADIZ (19 mi away) | 15.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 29,362 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 50% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $173,600 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Todd County, KY | 17 mi | under 1% | 29% |
| Trigg County, KY | 21 mi | under 1% | 13% |
| Caldwell County, KY | 27 mi | 6% | 43% |
| Montgomery County, TN | 28 mi | 1% | 25% |
| Hopkins County, KY | 29 mi | 11% | 64% |
| Muhlenberg County, KY | 30 mi | 2% | 46% |
| Logan County, KY | 34 mi | 1% | 24% |
| Lyon County, KY | 34 mi | 0% | 18% |
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