HomeKentuckyTrimble County

Trimble County, Kentucky

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 6% of Trimble County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 11%, 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 11 flood losses here since 2016. 39% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

6%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

11%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

39%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Trimble County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)6.5%
High water table (limits basements)10.9%
Septic fields very limited74.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.2%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)5.8%
Mapped soil100,051 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Beasley16%n/a
Fairmount15%n/a
Brassfield11%n/a
Woolper10%n/a
Cincinnati8%n/a
Ryker7%n/a
Jefferson County: 13%Carroll County: 17%Oldham County: 7%Henry County: 30%Clark County: 13%Scott County: 2%Switzerland County: 41%Shelby County: 47%Trimble County JeffersonCarrollOldhamHenryClarkScottSwitzerlandShelbyTrimble
Trimble 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 KY622 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 49.40 in, 0.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.58 in.

USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 6% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Trimble County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse48.1%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

11 flood losses since 2016, $407,944 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 7.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20183
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20257
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202049.58 in
12 months to August 202649.40 in (-0.18)
202550.52 in (+0.94)
Wettest year since 18952018: 67.04 in
Driest year since 18951930: 26.72 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MADISON SEWAGE PLT (8 mi away)14.3

Homes

Housing units3,880
Median year built1989
Built before 198039%
Built 2000 or later24%
Owner-occupied80%
Median value, owner-occupied$172,000
Single-family detached67%

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
Jefferson County, IN 12 mi 13% 56%
Carroll County, KY 13 mi 17% 9%
Oldham County, KY 16 mi 7% 17%
Henry County, KY 17 mi 30% 11%
Clark County, IN 22 mi 13% 44%
Scott County, IN 22 mi 2% 76%
Switzerland County, IN 22 mi 41% 40%
Shelby County, KY 27 mi 47% 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