Greenup County, Kentucky
A shallow water table limits basements on 34% of Greenup County's mapped land, a higher share than 53% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 157 flood losses here since 2016, 4% of them in buildings with basements. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Greenup County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 34.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 26.9% |
| Mapped soil | 226,880 acres |
How we count · survey areas KY605 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.5% by land area here, and 27% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
On 34% of Greenup 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: 39.82 in, 2.96 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 42.78 in.
USDA rates 78% 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 6 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
157 flood losses since 2016, $4.6 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 37. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 4% basements, 64% slabs, 1% crawl spaces, 30% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 53.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 37 |
| 2019 | 23 |
| 2020 | 18 |
| 2021 | 27 |
| 2022 | 14 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 13 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.78 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.82 in (-2.96) |
| 2025 | 47.52 in (+4.74) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2003: 57.23 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.46 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GREENUP LOCKS & DAM (7 mi away) | 7.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,271 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $134,000 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scioto County, OH | 18 mi | 8% | 34% |
| Carter County, KY | 18 mi | 27% | 35% |
| Boyd County, KY | 20 mi | 40% | 25% |
| Lawrence County, OH | 23 mi | 29% | 11% |
| Lewis County, KY | 24 mi | 1% | 13% |
| Elliott County, KY | 32 mi | 4% | 15% |
| Adams County, OH | 35 mi | 15% | 27% |
| Jackson County, OH | 36 mi | 17% | 53% |
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