Menifee County, Kentucky
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17% of Menifee County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 15%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 17 flood losses here since 2016. 31% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Menifee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.6% |
| Mapped soil | 131,744 acres |
How we count · survey areas KY645 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.1% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 17% of the mapped land.
On 15% of Menifee 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: 47.52 in, 2.73 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.25 in.
USDA rates 87% 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 11 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 weeks, most recently on the June 9, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
17 flood losses since 2016, $1.0 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 11.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.25 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 47.52 in (-2.73) |
| 2025 | 59.88 in (+9.63) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 74.21 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.24 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CAVE RUN LAKE (13 mi away) | 11.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,367 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 31% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $125,800 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolfe County, KY | 14 mi | 9% | 11% |
| Powell County, KY | 16 mi | 2% | 9% |
| Bath County, KY | 17 mi | 15% | 18% |
| Morgan County, KY | 18 mi | 9% | 13% |
| Montgomery County, KY | 19 mi | 13% | 16% |
| Rowan County, KY | 21 mi | 8% | 21% |
| Lee County, KY | 24 mi | 4% | 4% |
| Estill County, KY | 26 mi | 3% | 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