Oldham County, Kentucky
A shallow water table limits basements on 17% of Oldham County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 364 flood losses here since 2016, 5% of them in buildings with basements. 30% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1994.
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 Oldham County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 17.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 72.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 28.2% |
| Mapped soil | 125,760 acres |
How we count · survey areas KY185 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 17% of Oldham 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: 50.22 in, 1.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.36 in.
USDA rates 73% 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 1 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 7.7% of its area, on the April 21, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 36.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
364 flood losses since 2016, $15.5 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 153. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 5% basements, 26% slabs, 1% crawl spaces, 68% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 48 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 152 |
| 2019 | 25 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 22 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 153 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.36 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 50.22 in (-1.14) |
| 2025 | 53.53 in (+2.17) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 69.41 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 26.68 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LOUISVILLE MCALPINE (20 mi away) | 13.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 23,837 |
| Median year built | 1994 |
| Built before 1980 | 30% |
| Built 2000 or later | 38% |
| Owner-occupied | 87% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $393,100 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County, IN | 15 mi | 13% | 44% |
| Trimble County, KY | 16 mi | 6% | 11% |
| Shelby County, KY | 17 mi | 47% | 12% |
| Jefferson County, KY | 18 mi | 2% | 22% |
| Henry County, KY | 19 mi | 30% | 11% |
| Scott County, IN | 25 mi | 2% | 76% |
| Floyd County, IN | 25 mi | 27% | 20% |
| Carroll County, KY | 26 mi | 17% | 9% |
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