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Elliott County, Kentucky

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 4% of Elliott County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 15%, 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 1 flood losses here since 2016. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

4%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

15%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

37%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Elliott County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)3.7%
High water table (limits basements)14.6%
Septic fields very limited87.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)3.7%
Mapped soil150,643 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Shelocta28%0%
Gilpin19%0%
Handshoe7%n/a
Blairton7%n/a
Fedscreek5%n/a
Marrowbone5%n/a
Carter County: 27%Morgan County: 9%Rowan County: 8%Lawrence County: 17%Johnson County: 0%Boyd County: 40%Magoffin County: 4%Menifee County: 17%Elliott County CarterMorganRowanLawrenceJohnsonBoydMagoffinMenifeeElliott
Elliott County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas KY063 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 42.92 in, 4.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.22 in.

USDA rates 88% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 4% and a shallow water table on 15% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Elliott 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 9 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20211
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.22 in
12 months to August 202642.92 in (-4.30)
202551.06 in (+3.84)
Wettest year since 18952018: 62.10 in
Driest year since 18951930: 24.56 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CAVE RUN LAKE (24 mi away)11.5

Homes

Housing units3,052
Median year built1987
Built before 198037%
Built 2000 or later28%
Owner-occupied82%
Median value, owner-occupied$123,500
Single-family detached64%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Carter County, KY 14 mi 27% 35%
Morgan County, KY 16 mi 9% 13%
Rowan County, KY 19 mi 8% 21%
Lawrence County, KY 20 mi 17% 14%
Johnson County, KY 24 mi 0% 1%
Boyd County, KY 28 mi 40% 25%
Magoffin County, KY 29 mi 4% 5%
Menifee County, KY 30 mi 17% 15%

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