Simpson County, Kentucky
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Simpson County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 11%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% 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. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Simpson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 11.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 31.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.3% |
| Mapped soil | 151,315 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Baxter | 25% | n/a |
| Mountview | 25% | n/a |
| Pembroke | 22% | n/a |
| Nicholson | 6% | n/a |
| Vertrees | 4% | n/a |
| Lawrence | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KY213 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 42.44 in, 9.09 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.53 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Simpson County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 20 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
13 flood losses since 2016, $500,466 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.53 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.44 in (-9.09) |
| 2025 | 61.59 in (+10.06) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 71.41 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 29.73 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PORTLAND SEWAGE PLT (11 mi away) | 14.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,627 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $229,400 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logan County, KY | 19 mi | 1% | 24% |
| Warren County, KY | 20 mi | 8% | 13% |
| Sumner County, TN | 21 mi | 18% | 19% |
| Allen County, KY | 22 mi | 0% | 12% |
| Robertson County, TN | 22 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Butler County, KY | 33 mi | 10% | 33% |
| Trousdale County, TN | 34 mi | 44% | 10% |
| Todd County, KY | 34 mi | under 1% | 29% |
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