Lawrence County, Kentucky
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17% of Lawrence County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 14%.
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. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Lawrence County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 14.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.9% |
| Mapped soil | 268,806 acres |
How we count · survey areas KY640 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 2.6% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 17% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 42.94 in, 4.16 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.10 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 11 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $140,367 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.94 in (-4.16) |
| 2025 | 50.03 in (+2.93) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1950: 60.69 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.84 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PAINTSVILLE 1E (18 mi away) | 11.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,604 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $111,700 |
| Single-family detached | 57% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County, KY | 17 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Wayne County, WV | 18 mi | 17% | 28% |
| Elliott County, KY | 20 mi | 4% | 15% |
| Boyd County, KY | 20 mi | 40% | 25% |
| Martin County, KY | 23 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Carter County, KY | 24 mi | 27% | 35% |
| Morgan County, KY | 30 mi | 9% | 13% |
| Magoffin County, KY | 32 mi | 4% | 5% |
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