Morgan County, Kentucky
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 9% of Morgan County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 13%, 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 29 flood losses here since 2016. 34% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.
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 Morgan County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 12.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.2% |
| Mapped soil | 245,542 acres |
How we count · survey areas KY641 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 44.30 in, 3.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.16 in.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 9% and a shallow water table on 13% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Morgan 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 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the June 9, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 37.5% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
29 flood losses since 2016, $974,106 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.16 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.30 in (-3.86) |
| 2025 | 54.91 in (+6.75) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 65.00 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 26.03 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CAVE RUN LAKE (20 mi away) | 11.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,685 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 34% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $118,200 |
| Single-family detached | 60% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elliott County, KY | 16 mi | 4% | 15% |
| Wolfe County, KY | 18 mi | 9% | 11% |
| Menifee County, KY | 18 mi | 17% | 15% |
| Magoffin County, KY | 19 mi | 4% | 5% |
| Rowan County, KY | 21 mi | 8% | 21% |
| Johnson County, KY | 24 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Breathitt County, KY | 28 mi | 0% | 3% |
| Carter County, KY | 30 mi | 27% | 35% |
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