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Hill County, Montana

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29% of Hill County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 3%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 73% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

29%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

3%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

73%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Hill County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)28.8%
High water table (limits basements)3.0%
Septic fields very limited84.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)5.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)28.7%
Mapped soil1,851,547 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Joplin13%n/a
Telstad12%n/a
Hillon10%n/a
Kevin8%n/a
Scobey7%n/a
Phillips6%n/a
Liberty County: 34%Chouteau County: 39%Blaine County: 44%Toole County: 29%Pondera County: 35%Phillips County: 64%Fergus County: 51%Cascade County: 35%Hill County LibertyChouteauBlaineToolePonderaPhillipsFergusCascadeHill
Hill 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 MT041 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.0% by land area here, and 29% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.19 in, 0.58 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 12.77 in.

USDA rates 85% 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 48 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 28 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse11%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2 flood losses since 2016, $123 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20182
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202012.77 in
12 months to August 202612.19 in (-0.58)
202514.66 in (+1.89)
Wettest year since 18951975: 19.49 in
Driest year since 18952001: 6.64 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KREMLIN (8 mi away)1.3

Homes

Housing units7,234
Median year built1971
Built before 198073%
Built 2000 or later11%
Owner-occupied66%
Median value, owner-occupied$202,600
Single-family detached71%

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
Liberty County, MT 43 mi 34% 3%
Chouteau County, MT 54 mi 39% 2%
Blaine County, MT 54 mi 44% 2%
Toole County, MT 74 mi 29% 3%
Pondera County, MT 101 mi 35% 4%
Phillips County, MT 103 mi 64% 2%
Fergus County, MT 106 mi 51% 3%
Cascade County, MT 107 mi 35% 2%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status