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Shelby County, Kentucky

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 47% of Shelby County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 120 Kentucky counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 12%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1993.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

47%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

12%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

37%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Shelby County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)47.3%
High water table (limits basements)12.5%
Septic fields very limited97.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)5.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)41.2%
Mapped soil246,771 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Lowell31%76%
Eden16%6%
Faywood14%n/a
Shelbyville13%n/a
Nicholson11%n/a
Nolin3%n/a
Spencer County: 23%Henry County: 30%Oldham County: 7%Franklin County: 20%Anderson County: 25%Jefferson County: 2%Trimble County: 6%Owen County: 15%Shelby County SpencerHenryOldhamFranklinAndersonJeffersonTrimbleOwenShelby
Shelby 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 KY211 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.8% by land area here, and 41% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 47% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 51.17 in, 0.51 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 50.66 in.

USDA rates 98% 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 3 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 99.1% of its area, on the April 21, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse54.1%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

13 flood losses since 2016, $237,569 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20184
20194
20200
20213
20222
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202050.66 in
12 months to August 202651.17 in (+0.51)
202561.84 in (+11.18)
Wettest year since 18952018: 69.83 in
Driest year since 18951930: 27.35 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LOUISVILLE WFO (24 mi away)15.6

Homes

Housing units19,531
Median year built1993
Built before 198037%
Built 2000 or later38%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$304,800
Single-family detached79%

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
Spencer County, KY 16 mi 23% 7%
Henry County, KY 16 mi 30% 11%
Oldham County, KY 17 mi 7% 17%
Franklin County, KY 20 mi 20% 6%
Anderson County, KY 21 mi 25% 4%
Jefferson County, KY 24 mi 2% 22%
Trimble County, KY 27 mi 6% 11%
Owen County, KY 28 mi 15% 6%

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