Daviess County, Kentucky
A shallow water table limits basements on 64% of Daviess County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties and the 8th highest of 120 Kentucky counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 84 flood losses here since 2016, 15% of them in buildings with basements. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Daviess County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 64.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.8% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.5% |
| Mapped soil | 305,024 acres |
How we count · survey areas KY615 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 64% of Daviess 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: 47.16 in, 1.44 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.60 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 2 weeks, most recently on the May 5, 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
84 flood losses since 2016, $1.6 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 31. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 15% basements, 40% slabs, 34% crawl spaces, 10% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 15.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 14 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 31 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.60 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 47.16 in (-1.44) |
| 2025 | 55.26 in (+6.66) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 66.18 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 28.55 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CALHOUN LOCK 2 (17 mi away) | 11.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 44,431 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $199,900 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| McLean County, KY | 17 mi | 16% | 81% |
| Hancock County, KY | 18 mi | 1% | 36% |
| Spencer County, IN | 20 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Ohio County, KY | 22 mi | 2% | 42% |
| Henderson County, KY | 27 mi | 5% | 63% |
| Warrick County, IN | 27 mi | 6% | 60% |
| Vanderburgh County, IN | 34 mi | 5% | 71% |
| Perry County, IN | 35 mi | 27% | 48% |
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