Esmeralda County, Nevada
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 4% of Esmeralda County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 4%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 77.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Esmeralda County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.5% |
| Mapped soil | 2,233,083 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Wardenot | 7% | n/a |
| Downeyville | 5% | n/a |
| Blacktop | 4% | n/a |
| Gynelle | 4% | n/a |
| Unsel | 4% | n/a |
| Izo | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NV796 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 6.47 in, 1.13 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 5.34 in.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 4% and a shallow water table on 4% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Esmeralda County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
77.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 80.4% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the October 14, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 77.6% |
| 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 Esmeralda County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 5.34 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 6.47 in (+1.13) |
| 2025 | 5.91 in (+0.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 9.96 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 1.55 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DYER 5S (23 mi away) | 0.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 690 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $108,900 |
| Single-family detached | 49% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nye County, NV | 65 mi | 3% | 4% |
| Mineral County, NV | 66 mi | 5% | 2% |
| Mono County, CA | 69 mi | 3% | 7% |
| Inyo County, CA | 83 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Lyon County, NV | 120 mi | 11% | 8% |
| Madera County, CA | 123 mi | 2% | 3% |
| Tulare County, CA | 124 mi | 14% | 1% |
| Mariposa County, CA | 125 mi | 5% | 3% |
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