HomeMontanaJudith Basin County
Judith Basin County, Montana
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 37% of Judith Basin County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties and the 9th highest of 53 Montana counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
The soil survey maps 77% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. 16.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 62.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1967.
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 Judith Basin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 36.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 38.7% |
| Mapped soil | 918,518 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Judith | 17% | n/a |
| Danvers | 9% | n/a |
| Winifred | 7% | n/a |
| Cheadle | 7% | n/a |
| Darret | 3% | n/a |
| Utica | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MT602 (2025-08-30)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 39% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 37% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 16.4% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 37% of Judith Basin County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 17.00 in, 2.43 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 19.43 in.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
16.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 15 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 63.8% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 16.4% |
| 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 Judith Basin County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 19.43 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 17.00 in (-2.43) |
| 2025 | 18.21 in (-1.22) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 28.78 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1919: 12.32 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at STANFORD (9 mi away) | 1.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,261 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $238,300 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meagher County, MT | 41 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Wheatland County, MT | 43 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Fergus County, MT | 52 mi | 51% | 3% |
| Cascade County, MT | 53 mi | 35% | 2% |
| Chouteau County, MT | 59 mi | 39% | 2% |
| Golden Valley County, MT | 70 mi | 26% | 2% |
| Broadwater County, MT | 74 mi | 1% | 3% |
| Sweet Grass County, MT | 87 mi | 16% | 5% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 30, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status