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Fleming County, Kentucky

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21% of Fleming County's mapped land, a higher share than 71% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 12%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

21%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

12%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

45%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Fleming County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)20.9%
High water table (limits basements)12.1%
Septic fields very limited88.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)17.1%
Mapped soil224,621 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Lowell14%76%
Beasley10%n/a
Eden8%6%
Faywood8%n/a
Muse7%n/a
Cynthiana7%n/a
Bath County: 15%Mason County: 43%Nicholas County: 29%Rowan County: 8%Lewis County: 1%Robertson County: 7%Montgomery County: 13%Bourbon County: 56%Fleming County BathMasonNicholasRowanLewisRobertsonMontgomeryBourbonFleming
Fleming 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 KY069 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 45.07 in, 3.87 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.94 in.

USDA rates 89% 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 7 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse8.7%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

8 flood losses since 2016, $204,889 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 5.

YearFlood losses
20160
20175
20180
20192
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202048.94 in
12 months to August 202645.07 in (-3.87)
202553.93 in (+4.99)
Wettest year since 18952018: 70.86 in
Driest year since 18951930: 27.62 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CAVE RUN LAKE (19 mi away)11.5

Homes

Housing units6,793
Median year built1986
Built before 198045%
Built 2000 or later29%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$134,700
Single-family detached63%

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
Bath County, KY 15 mi 15% 18%
Mason County, KY 17 mi 43% 5%
Nicholas County, KY 18 mi 29% 2%
Rowan County, KY 19 mi 8% 21%
Lewis County, KY 21 mi 1% 13%
Robertson County, KY 22 mi 7% 2%
Montgomery County, KY 26 mi 13% 16%
Bourbon County, KY 30 mi 56% 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