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Gallatin County, Kentucky

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 11% of Gallatin County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 10%, 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 25 flood losses here since 2016, 10% of them in buildings with basements. 29% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1993.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

11%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

10%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

29%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Gallatin County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)10.7%
High water table (limits basements)10.2%
Septic fields very limited88.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.2%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)9.3%
Mapped soil66,983 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Eden44%6%
Lowell15%76%
Nicholson6%n/a
Wheeling5%0%
Faywood3%n/a
Fairmount3%n/a
Switzerland County: 41%Ohio County: 40%Grant County: 23%Carroll County: 17%Boone County: 7%Owen County: 15%Kenton County: 14%Henry County: 30%Gallatin County SwitzerlandOhioGrantCarrollBooneOwenKentonHenryGallatin
Gallatin 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 KY612 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 47.72 in, 0.27 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 47.45 in.

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

With shrink-swell clay on 11% and a shallow water table on 10% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Gallatin County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

25 flood losses since 2016, $399,127 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 13. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 10% basements, 40% slabs, 10% crawl spaces, 40% elevated.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
201812
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
202513
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.45 in
12 months to August 202647.72 in (+0.27)
202548.51 in (+1.06)
Wettest year since 18952011: 67.09 in
Driest year since 18951934: 25.05 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WARSAW MARKLAND DAM (6 mi away)12.2

Homes

Housing units3,816
Median year built1993
Built before 198029%
Built 2000 or later28%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$178,200
Single-family detached59%

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
Switzerland County, IN 10 mi 41% 40%
Ohio County, IN 14 mi 40% 28%
Grant County, KY 15 mi 23% 9%
Carroll County, KY 15 mi 17% 9%
Boone County, KY 16 mi 7% 29%
Owen County, KY 18 mi 15% 6%
Kenton County, KY 22 mi 14% 26%
Henry County, KY 25 mi 30% 11%

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