Franklin County, Kentucky
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20% of Franklin County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 6%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 187 flood losses here since 2016, 36% 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 Franklin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.6% |
| Mapped soil | 135,731 acres |
How we count · survey areas KY601 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 18% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 52.27 in, 2.63 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 49.64 in.
USDA rates 75% 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, on the April 21, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 99.7% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
187 flood losses since 2016, $14.7 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 133. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 36% basements, 13% slabs, 18% crawl spaces, 33% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 53 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 45 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 133 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.64 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 52.27 in (+2.63) |
| 2025 | 65.38 in (+15.74) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 73.90 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 26.01 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GEORGETOWN WTR WKS (17 mi away) | 12.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 24,163 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $216,600 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodford County, KY | 15 mi | 31% | 4% |
| Scott County, KY | 16 mi | 31% | 3% |
| Anderson County, KY | 17 mi | 25% | 4% |
| Owen County, KY | 18 mi | 15% | 6% |
| Shelby County, KY | 20 mi | 47% | 12% |
| Henry County, KY | 20 mi | 30% | 11% |
| Fayette County, KY | 26 mi | 40% | 13% |
| Spencer County, KY | 28 mi | 23% | 7% |
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