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Marion County, Kentucky

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 5% of Marion County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 14%, 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 1 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

5%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

14%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

46%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Marion County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)4.7%
High water table (limits basements)13.6%
Septic fields very limited77.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)8.0%
Mapped soil221,952 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Faywood10%n/a
Lowell9%76%
Carpenter7%n/a
Garmon7%n/a
Trappist6%n/a
Rohan6%n/a
Taylor County: 4%Washington County: 23%Nelson County: 16%Boyle County: 20%Larue County: 4%Casey County: 1%Green County: 17%Mercer County: 22%Marion County TaylorWashingtonNelsonBoyleLarueCaseyGreenMercerMarion
Marion 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 KY155 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 48.47 in, 3.06 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.53 in.

USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 5% and a shallow water table on 14% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Marion 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 14 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20231
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202051.53 in
12 months to August 202648.47 in (-3.06)
202564.92 in (+13.39)
Wettest year since 18951972: 67.67 in
Driest year since 18951930: 30.65 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BARDSTOWN 5E (19 mi away)14.9

Homes

Housing units8,477
Median year built1984
Built before 198046%
Built 2000 or later26%
Owner-occupied78%
Median value, owner-occupied$168,100
Single-family detached74%

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
Taylor County, KY 13 mi 4% 12%
Washington County, KY 15 mi 23% 5%
Nelson County, KY 20 mi 16% 14%
Boyle County, KY 22 mi 20% 5%
Larue County, KY 23 mi 4% 19%
Casey County, KY 25 mi 1% 13%
Green County, KY 25 mi 17% 10%
Mercer County, KY 28 mi 22% 4%

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