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Mason County, Kentucky

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 43% of Mason County's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 120 Kentucky counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 5%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

43%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

5%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

54%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Mason County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)43.1%
High water table (limits basements)4.9%
Septic fields very limited89.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)5.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)36.1%
Mapped soil157,683 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Lowell34%76%
Eden18%6%
Faywood12%n/a
Cynthiana10%n/a
Nicholson4%n/a
Fairmount4%n/a
Robertson County: 7%Bracken County: 8%Fleming County: 21%Nicholas County: 29%Brown County: 11%Lewis County: 1%Adams County: 15%Pendleton County: 14%Mason County RobertsonBrackenFlemingNicholasBrownLewisAdamsPendletonMason
Mason 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 KY161 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.7% by land area here, and 36% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 43% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 46.42 in, 1.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.60 in.

USDA rates 89% 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 6 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 79.7% 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

2 flood losses since 2016, $61,392 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20172
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.60 in
12 months to August 202646.42 in (-1.18)
202551.42 in (+3.82)
Wettest year since 18952018: 65.37 in
Driest year since 18951930: 25.12 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MAYSVILLE WWTP (7 mi away)11.1

Homes

Housing units8,190
Median year built1977
Built before 198054%
Built 2000 or later20%
Owner-occupied66%
Median value, owner-occupied$161,500
Single-family detached66%

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
Robertson County, KY 14 mi 7% 2%
Bracken County, KY 17 mi 8% 4%
Fleming County, KY 17 mi 21% 12%
Nicholas County, KY 21 mi 29% 2%
Brown County, OH 23 mi 11% 68%
Lewis County, KY 25 mi 1% 13%
Adams County, OH 25 mi 15% 27%
Pendleton County, KY 29 mi 14% 8%

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