Hopkins County, Kentucky
A shallow water table limits basements on 64% of Hopkins County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties and the 9th highest of 120 Kentucky counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 11%.
12.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 28 flood losses here since 2016, 5% 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 Hopkins County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 63.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.6% |
| Mapped soil | 354,842 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Zanesville | 15% | 97% |
| Hosmer | 11% | over 99% |
| Belknap | 10% | n/a |
| Karnak | 9% | n/a |
| Frondorf | 7% | n/a |
| Fairpoint | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KY107 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 64% of Hopkins 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: 40.31 in, 9.51 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.82 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
12.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 15 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 90.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 12.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
28 flood losses since 2016, $896,267 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 9. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 5% basements, 40% slabs, 50% crawl spaces, 5% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.82 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.31 in (-9.51) |
| 2025 | 52.57 in (+2.75) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 66.21 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 27.07 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MADISONVILLE (3 mi away) | 14.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 21,001 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $142,800 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webster County, KY | 16 mi | 10% | 69% |
| Caldwell County, KY | 21 mi | 6% | 43% |
| McLean County, KY | 21 mi | 16% | 81% |
| Muhlenberg County, KY | 23 mi | 2% | 46% |
| Christian County, KY | 29 mi | under 1% | 34% |
| Crittenden County, KY | 31 mi | 1% | 54% |
| Union County, KY | 33 mi | 4% | 53% |
| Henderson County, KY | 33 mi | 5% | 63% |
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