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Lewis County, Kentucky

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Lewis County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 13%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 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. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

13%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

45%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Lewis County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.9%
High water table (limits basements)13.5%
Septic fields very limited79.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.4%
Mapped soil317,043 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Berks18%0%
Brownsville15%n/a
Blairton8%n/a
Shelocta6%0%
Covedale6%n/a
Shrouts5%n/a
Fleming County: 21%Adams County: 15%Rowan County: 8%Carter County: 27%Greenup County: 27%Mason County: 43%Scioto County: 8%Elliott County: 4%Lewis County FlemingAdamsRowanCarterGreenupMasonSciotoElliottLewis
Lewis 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 KY135 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 43.70 in, 2.46 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.16 in.

USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 13% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Lewis County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

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 6 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the May 12, 2026 map.

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

Flood losses since 2016

3 flood losses since 2016, $20,479 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20161
20171
20180
20190
20200
20211
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.16 in
12 months to August 202643.70 in (-2.46)
202549.58 in (+3.42)
Wettest year since 18952018: 62.89 in
Driest year since 18951930: 25.66 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at W UNION 6 ENE (19 mi away)10.9

Homes

Housing units6,066
Median year built1985
Built before 198045%
Built 2000 or later23%
Owner-occupied79%
Median value, owner-occupied$96,000
Single-family detached69%

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
Fleming County, KY 21 mi 21% 12%
Adams County, OH 21 mi 15% 27%
Rowan County, KY 23 mi 8% 21%
Carter County, KY 24 mi 27% 35%
Greenup County, KY 24 mi 27% 34%
Mason County, KY 25 mi 43% 5%
Scioto County, OH 28 mi 8% 34%
Elliott County, KY 32 mi 4% 15%

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