Hardin County, Kentucky
A shallow water table limits basements on 17% of Hardin County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 170 flood losses here since 2016, 22% of them in buildings with basements. 39% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Hardin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 16.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 65.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 21.9% |
| Mapped soil | 403,283 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Crider | 15% | 0% |
| Vertrees | 12% | n/a |
| Caneyville | 7% | n/a |
| Bedford | 5% | n/a |
| Nolin | 5% | n/a |
| Hagerstown | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KY621 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 17% of Hardin 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: 49.92 in, 1.40 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.32 in.
USDA rates 65% 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 10 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 58.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
170 flood losses since 2016, $5.7 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 88. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 22% basements, 22% slabs, 33% crawl spaces, 23% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 28 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 12 |
| 2018 | 47 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 88 |
| 2026 to date | 5 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.32 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 49.92 in (-1.40) |
| 2025 | 61.00 in (+9.68) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 70.31 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 28.49 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ELIZABETHTOWN KSP#4 (7 mi away) | 14 |
Homes
| Housing units | 48,108 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 39% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $225,800 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larue County, KY | 18 mi | 4% | 19% |
| Meade County, KY | 23 mi | 1% | 12% |
| Bullitt County, KY | 23 mi | 13% | 21% |
| Grayson County, KY | 27 mi | 1% | 37% |
| Breckinridge County, KY | 27 mi | under 1% | 28% |
| Hart County, KY | 27 mi | 7% | 4% |
| Nelson County, KY | 28 mi | 16% | 14% |
| Harrison County, IN | 35 mi | 53% | 17% |
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