Elko County, Nevada
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 19% of Elko County's mapped land, a higher share than 69% of US counties and the 5th highest of 17 Nevada counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
The soil survey maps 89% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. 100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 16 flood losses here since 2016. 25% 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 Elko County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 19.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 20.0% |
| Mapped soil | 9,785,772 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Chiara | 3% | n/a |
| Cleavage | 3% | n/a |
| Hunnton | 2% | n/a |
| Wieland | 2% | n/a |
| Tecomar | 2% | n/a |
| Katelana | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ID677 (2025-08-28), NV612 (2025-08-28), NV621 (2025-08-28), NV763 (2025-09-02), NV765 (2025-09-02), NV766 (2025-09-02), NV767 (2025-09-02), UT611 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.6% by land area here, and 20% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 19% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 19% of Elko County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.19 in, 2.95 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 14.14 in.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% 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 31 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 39.3% |
| D4 exceptional | 4.7% |
Flood losses since 2016
16 flood losses since 2016, $113,942 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 15.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 15 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 14.14 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.19 in (-2.95) |
| 2025 | 12.32 in (-1.82) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 23.12 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1966: 8.65 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ARTHUR 4NW (26 mi away) | 1.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 22,177 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 25% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $301,400 |
| Single-family detached | 56% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Falls County, ID | 91 mi | 13% | 1% |
| Eureka County, NV | 94 mi | 14% | 6% |
| Owyhee County, ID | 108 mi | 27% | 2% |
| Cassia County, ID | 119 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Jerome County, ID | 121 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| White Pine County, NV | 121 mi | 7% | 4% |
| Box Elder County, UT | 123 mi | 2% | 23% |
| Lander County, NV | 124 mi | 11% | 6% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status