Wolfe County, Kentucky
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 9% of Wolfe 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 no flood losses here since 2016. 30% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.
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 Wolfe County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 10.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.2% |
| Mapped soil | 142,656 acres |
How we count · survey areas KY634 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 45.63 in, 3.98 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.61 in.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 9% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Wolfe 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 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the June 9, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 93.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Wolfe County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.61 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.63 in (-3.98) |
| 2025 | 58.89 in (+9.28) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 68.20 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 26.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JACKSON (15 mi away) | 12.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,053 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 30% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $75,800 |
| Single-family detached | 61% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menifee County, KY | 14 mi | 17% | 15% |
| Lee County, KY | 15 mi | 4% | 4% |
| Morgan County, KY | 18 mi | 9% | 13% |
| Breathitt County, KY | 18 mi | 0% | 3% |
| Powell County, KY | 19 mi | 2% | 9% |
| Magoffin County, KY | 23 mi | 4% | 5% |
| Owsley County, KY | 25 mi | 0% | under 1% |
| Estill County, KY | 26 mi | 3% | 8% |
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