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Harrison County, Kentucky

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 11% of Harrison County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 3%, 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 11 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

11%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

3%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

47%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Harrison County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)10.7%
High water table (limits basements)3.3%
Septic fields very limited79.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)10.2%
Mapped soil198,253 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Eden21%6%
Faywood20%n/a
Cynthiana19%n/a
Lowell7%76%
Heitt4%n/a
Huntington3%n/a
Robertson County: 7%Scott County: 31%Pendleton County: 14%Bourbon County: 56%Nicholas County: 29%Bracken County: 8%Grant County: 23%Owen County: 15%Harrison County RobertsonScottPendletonBourbonNicholasBrackenGrantOwenHarrison
Harrison 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 KY097 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 48.44 in, 0.26 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 48.18 in.

USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 11% and a shallow water table on 3% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Harrison County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

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 worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

11 flood losses since 2016, $335,851 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20182
20191
20202
20210
20220
20233
20240
20253
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202048.18 in
12 months to August 202648.44 in (+0.26)
202554.48 in (+6.30)
Wettest year since 18952018: 70.14 in
Driest year since 18951930: 25.06 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CYNTHIANA (5 mi away)12.1

Homes

Housing units8,186
Median year built1982
Built before 198047%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$202,100
Single-family detached73%

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
Robertson County, KY 15 mi 7% 2%
Scott County, KY 17 mi 31% 3%
Pendleton County, KY 17 mi 14% 8%
Bourbon County, KY 18 mi 56% 5%
Nicholas County, KY 18 mi 29% 2%
Bracken County, KY 20 mi 8% 4%
Grant County, KY 21 mi 23% 9%
Owen County, KY 28 mi 15% 6%

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