Eureka County, Nevada
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 14% of Eureka County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 6%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% 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. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Eureka County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 14.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.4% |
| Mapped soil | 2,675,905 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Silverado | 3% | n/a |
| Tulase | 2% | n/a |
| Ocala | 2% | n/a |
| Umil | 2% | n/a |
| Rubyhill | 2% | n/a |
| Kobeh | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NV612 (2025-08-28), NV621 (2025-08-28), NV763 (2025-09-02), NV776 (2025-09-02), NV780 (2025-09-02), NV782 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 8.85 in, 2.49 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 11.34 in.
USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 14% and a shallow water table on 6% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Eureka County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 26 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 | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Eureka County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 11.34 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 8.85 in (-2.49) |
| 2025 | 9.40 in (-1.94) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 20.11 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2020: 5.53 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BEOWAWE 49S - U OF N RCH (18 mi away) | 0.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 976 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 41% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $82,600 |
| Single-family detached | 33% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lander County, NV | 41 mi | 11% | 6% |
| White Pine County, NV | 83 mi | 7% | 4% |
| Elko County, NV | 94 mi | 19% | 4% |
| Churchill County, NV | 110 mi | 11% | 11% |
| Pershing County, NV | 117 mi | 11% | 4% |
| Humboldt County, NV | 139 mi | 21% | 9% |
| Nye County, NV | 139 mi | 3% | 4% |
| Mineral County, NV | 153 mi | 5% | 2% |
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