Scott County, Kentucky
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 31% of Scott County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties and the 7th highest of 120 Kentucky counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 3%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 18 flood losses here since 2016. 22% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2000.
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 Scott County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 31.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 28.5% |
| Mapped soil | 182,727 acres |
How we count · survey areas KY209 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.0% by land area here, and 29% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 31% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 51.67 in, 2.03 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 49.64 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 7 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 22.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
18 flood losses since 2016, $374,865 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 9.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.64 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 51.67 in (+2.03) |
| 2025 | 61.16 in (+11.52) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 74.98 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.34 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GEORGETOWN WTR WKS (5 mi away) | 12.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 23,725 |
| Median year built | 2000 |
| Built before 1980 | 22% |
| Built 2000 or later | 49% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $288,500 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County, KY | 16 mi | 20% | 6% |
| Harrison County, KY | 17 mi | 11% | 3% |
| Fayette County, KY | 18 mi | 40% | 13% |
| Woodford County, KY | 19 mi | 31% | 4% |
| Owen County, KY | 21 mi | 15% | 6% |
| Bourbon County, KY | 21 mi | 56% | 5% |
| Grant County, KY | 25 mi | 23% | 9% |
| Jessamine County, KY | 29 mi | 27% | 4% |
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