Martin County, Kentucky
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Martin County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 1%, 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 94 flood losses here since 2016, 7% of them in buildings with basements. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Martin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 147,501 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Shelocta | 11% | 0% |
| Marrowbone | 10% | n/a |
| Fiveblock | 9% | n/a |
| Fairpoint | 8% | n/a |
| Rayne | 8% | n/a |
| Cloverlick | 8% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KY640 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 41.93 in, 6.88 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.81 in.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Martin 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 11 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 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
94 flood losses since 2016, $3.1 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 48. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 7% basements, 28% slabs, 15% crawl spaces, 49% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 33.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 32 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 48 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.81 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.93 in (-6.88) |
| 2025 | 50.53 in (+1.72) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 60.78 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.11 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DUNLOW 1 SW (12 mi away) | 10.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,862 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $86,900 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County, KY | 18 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Mingo County, WV | 20 mi | 0% | under 1% |
| Floyd County, KY | 21 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Pike County, KY | 22 mi | 0% | 2% |
| Lawrence County, KY | 23 mi | 17% | 14% |
| Wayne County, WV | 24 mi | 17% | 28% |
| Logan County, WV | 31 mi | 0% | 1% |
| 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