Knox County, Kentucky
A shallow water table limits basements on 34% of Knox County's mapped land, a higher share than 53% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 24 flood losses here since 2016. 39% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Knox County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 34.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.9% |
| Mapped soil | 248,128 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Shelocta | 36% | 4% |
| Latham | 26% | n/a |
| Dekalb | 6% | n/a |
| Stendal | 5% | n/a |
| Rigley | 4% | n/a |
| Kimper | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KY627 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 2.7% by land area here, and 16% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
On 34% of Knox 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: 48.11 in, 5.05 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.16 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 20 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 18.5% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
24 flood losses since 2016, $342,215 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 10.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 53.16 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 48.11 in (-5.05) |
| 2025 | 60.25 in (+7.09) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 69.59 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 32.17 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BARBOURVILLE (1 mi away) | 15.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,866 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 39% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $118,700 |
| Single-family detached | 56% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County, KY | 15 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Whitley County, KY | 18 mi | 6% | 18% |
| Clay County, KY | 21 mi | 0% | 2% |
| Laurel County, KY | 21 mi | 12% | 26% |
| Claiborne County, TN | 29 mi | under 1% | 3% |
| Leslie County, KY | 29 mi | 0% | 5% |
| Harlan County, KY | 35 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Jackson County, KY | 37 mi | 3% | under 1% |
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