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Henry County, Kentucky

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 30% of Henry County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties and the 8th highest of 120 Kentucky counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 11%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

30%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

11%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

56%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Henry County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)30.5%
High water table (limits basements)10.6%
Septic fields very limited92.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)5.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)26.3%
Mapped soil186,272 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Lowell23%76%
Eden20%6%
Faywood19%n/a
Nicholson8%n/a
Fairmount6%n/a
Beasley6%n/a
Carroll County: 17%Owen County: 15%Shelby County: 47%Trimble County: 6%Oldham County: 7%Franklin County: 20%Gallatin County: 11%Switzerland County: 41%Henry County CarrollOwenShelbyTrimbleOldhamFranklinGallatinSwitzerlandHenry
Henry 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 KY622 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.3% by land area here, and 26% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 30% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 50.53 in, 1.03 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 49.50 in.

USDA rates 93% 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 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 70.3% of its area, on the April 21, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse43.6%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

3 flood losses since 2016, $169,024 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20253
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202049.50 in
12 months to August 202650.53 in (+1.03)
202557.88 in (+8.38)
Wettest year since 18952018: 69.24 in
Driest year since 18951930: 26.10 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WARSAW MARKLAND DAM (24 mi away)12.2

Homes

Housing units6,705
Median year built1977
Built before 198056%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied76%
Median value, owner-occupied$197,900
Single-family detached81%

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
Carroll County, KY 15 mi 17% 9%
Owen County, KY 15 mi 15% 6%
Shelby County, KY 16 mi 47% 12%
Trimble County, KY 17 mi 6% 11%
Oldham County, KY 19 mi 7% 17%
Franklin County, KY 20 mi 20% 6%
Gallatin County, KY 25 mi 11% 10%
Switzerland County, IN 26 mi 41% 40%

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