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Golden Valley County, Montana
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 26% of Golden Valley County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%.
35.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 45.1% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Golden Valley County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 26.2% |
| Mapped soil | 735,498 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Cabbart | 13% | under 1% |
| Crago | 10% | n/a |
| Delpoint | 7% | n/a |
| Yawdim | 6% | n/a |
| Rentsac | 5% | n/a |
| Yamacall | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MT666 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% 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 26% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 35.6% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 26% of Golden Valley County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.76 in, 2.33 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 15.09 in.
USDA rates 69% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
35.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 37 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 92% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 35.6% |
| 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 Golden Valley County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 15.09 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.76 in (-2.33) |
| 2025 | 17.70 in (+2.61) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1978: 20.16 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1931: 8.00 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RYEGATE 18 NNW (13 mi away) | 1.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 482 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $212,200 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheatland County, MT | 33 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Musselshell County, MT | 36 mi | 24% | 1% |
| Stillwater County, MT | 51 mi | 26% | 5% |
| Yellowstone County, MT | 53 mi | 23% | 3% |
| Sweet Grass County, MT | 55 mi | 16% | 5% |
| Fergus County, MT | 58 mi | 51% | 3% |
| Petroleum County, MT | 69 mi | 57% | under 1% |
| Judith Basin County, MT | 70 mi | 37% | 4% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status