Henderson County, Kentucky
A shallow water table limits basements on 63% of Henderson County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties and the 10th highest of 120 Kentucky counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 82 flood losses here since 2016, 11% of them in buildings with basements. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Henderson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 63.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 81.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.9% |
| Mapped soil | 298,355 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hosmer | 15% | over 99% |
| Alford | 11% | n/a |
| Belknap | 7% | n/a |
| Melvin | 5% | n/a |
| Uniontown | 4% | n/a |
| Huntington | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KY101 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 63% of Henderson 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: 41.05 in, 6.45 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.50 in.
USDA rates 82% 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 | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
82 flood losses since 2016, $2.5 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 38. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 11% basements, 18% slabs, 54% crawl spaces, 18% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 22 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 38 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 38 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.50 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.05 in (-6.45) |
| 2025 | 47.44 in (-0.06) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 68.89 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 28.84 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HENDERSON STATE POLICE (0 mi away) | 14.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,151 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $171,900 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderburgh County, IN | 16 mi | 5% | 71% |
| Webster County, KY | 20 mi | 10% | 69% |
| Union County, KY | 23 mi | 4% | 53% |
| Posey County, IN | 23 mi | 4% | 54% |
| McLean County, KY | 25 mi | 16% | 81% |
| Warrick County, IN | 27 mi | 6% | 60% |
| Daviess County, KY | 27 mi | 7% | 64% |
| Hopkins County, KY | 33 mi | 11% | 64% |
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