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Russell County, Kentucky

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Russell County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 7%, 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 2 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

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

7%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

34%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Russell County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.7%
High water table (limits basements)7.2%
Septic fields very limited52.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil180,985 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Garmon17%n/a
Gilpin14%0%
Frederick12%23%
Lonewood11%n/a
Caneyville9%n/a
Mountview7%n/a
Adair County: 19%Wayne County: 9%Clinton County: 1%Cumberland County: 0%Casey County: 1%Pulaski County: 6%Pickett County: 1%Taylor County: 4%Russell County AdairWayneClintonCumberlandCaseyPulaskiPickettTaylorRussell
Russell County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas KY207 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 45.99 in, 7.96 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.95 in.

USDA rates 52% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 7% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Russell 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 15 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2 flood losses since 2016, $96,905 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20192
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202053.95 in
12 months to August 202645.99 in (-7.96)
202561.72 in (+7.77)
Wettest year since 18952018: 74.02 in
Driest year since 18951930: 33.43 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JAMESTOWN WWTP (1 mi away)15.6

Homes

Housing units10,169
Median year built1991
Built before 198034%
Built 2000 or later30%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$163,200
Single-family detached70%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Adair County, KY 15 mi 19% 13%
Wayne County, KY 18 mi 9% 4%
Clinton County, KY 19 mi 1% 2%
Cumberland County, KY 23 mi 0% 3%
Casey County, KY 24 mi 1% 13%
Pulaski County, KY 28 mi 6% 15%
Pickett County, TN 30 mi 1% 3%
Taylor County, KY 30 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