Woodford County, Kentucky
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 31% of Woodford County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties and the 6th highest of 120 Kentucky counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 135 flood losses here since 2016, 17% of them in buildings with basements. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Woodford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 31.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 26.1% |
| Mapped soil | 122,887 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| McAfee | 20% | n/a |
| Maury | 19% | n/a |
| Bluegrass | 18% | n/a |
| Faywood | 10% | n/a |
| Fairmount | 8% | n/a |
| Lowell | 6% | 76% |
How we count · survey areas KY624 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.0% by land area here, and 26% 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: 53.39 in, 3.19 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 50.20 in.
USDA rates 69% 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 10 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 65% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
135 flood losses since 2016, $10.2 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 73. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 17% basements, 21% slabs, 21% crawl spaces, 40% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 48 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 24 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 34 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 73 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.20 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 53.39 in (+3.19) |
| 2025 | 65.42 in (+15.22) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 72.78 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 27.20 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LEXINGTON BLUEGRASS AP (8 mi away) | 12.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 11,686 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $299,700 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County, KY | 13 mi | 25% | 4% |
| Franklin County, KY | 15 mi | 20% | 6% |
| Jessamine County, KY | 15 mi | 27% | 4% |
| Fayette County, KY | 16 mi | 40% | 13% |
| Mercer County, KY | 17 mi | 22% | 4% |
| Scott County, KY | 19 mi | 31% | 3% |
| Shelby County, KY | 29 mi | 47% | 12% |
| Boyle County, KY | 30 mi | 20% | 5% |
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