McCracken County, Kentucky
A shallow water table limits basements on 73% of McCracken County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 120 Kentucky counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 97 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 McCracken County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 72.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.2% |
| Urban land, not rated | 2.5% |
| Mapped soil | 171,654 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Grenada | 17% | n/a |
| Calloway | 9% | n/a |
| Loring | 7% | 99% |
| Falaya | 5% | n/a |
| Purchase | 5% | n/a |
| Routon | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KY602 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 73% of McCracken County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 48.00 in, 2.32 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.32 in.
USDA rates 76% 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 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 12% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
97 flood losses since 2016, $4.0 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 54. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 27% slabs, 51% crawl spaces, 21% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 25 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 25 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 54 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.32 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 48.00 in (-2.32) |
| 2025 | 54.71 in (+4.39) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 71.73 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 29.43 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PADUCAH (3 mi away) | 14.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 32,280 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $188,100 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massac County, IL | 11 mi | 8% | 79% |
| Ballard County, KY | 16 mi | 2% | 67% |
| Carlisle County, KY | 20 mi | 3% | 72% |
| Livingston County, KY | 22 mi | 3% | 49% |
| Graves County, KY | 23 mi | under 1% | 60% |
| Marshall County, KY | 24 mi | 1% | 57% |
| Pulaski County, IL | 25 mi | 10% | 72% |
| Pope County, IL | 27 mi | 2% | 67% |
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