Metcalfe County, Kentucky
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 3% of Metcalfe County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 12%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 50.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Metcalfe County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 12.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 63.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.7% |
| Mapped soil | 186,311 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Baxter | 29% | n/a |
| Dandridge | 10% | n/a |
| Garmon | 10% | n/a |
| Crider | 7% | 3% |
| Caneyville | 5% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 4% | under 1% |
How we count · survey areas KY169 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 43.31 in, 8.64 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.95 in.
USDA rates 63% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 3% and a shallow water table on 12% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Metcalfe County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
50.6% 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 10 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 | 50.6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Metcalfe County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.95 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.31 in (-8.64) |
| 2025 | 60.45 in (+8.50) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 68.11 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 31.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GREENSBURG (20 mi away) | 14.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,735 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $110,200 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barren County, KY | 17 mi | 1% | 17% |
| Green County, KY | 20 mi | 17% | 10% |
| Monroe County, KY | 20 mi | 0% | 8% |
| Cumberland County, KY | 20 mi | 0% | 3% |
| Adair County, KY | 21 mi | 19% | 13% |
| Hart County, KY | 26 mi | 7% | 4% |
| Clay County, TN | 31 mi | 4% | 8% |
| Taylor County, KY | 31 mi | 4% | 12% |
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