Lincoln County, Nevada
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 6% of Lincoln County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 84% 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 3 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Lincoln County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.0% |
| Mapped soil | 5,735,930 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Ursine | 4% | n/a |
| Chubard | 2% | n/a |
| Turba | 2% | n/a |
| Kyler | 2% | n/a |
| Irongold | 2% | n/a |
| Gabbvally | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NV608 (2025-08-28), NV611 (2025-08-28), NV713 (2025-08-29), NV754 (2025-08-29), NV778 (2025-09-02), NV784 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 8.57 in, 1.83 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 10.40 in.
USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 6% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Lincoln 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 16 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 | 79.7% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $13,000 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 10.40 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 8.57 in (-1.83) |
| 2025 | 8.35 in (-2.05) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1978: 20.10 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2002: 3.34 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CALIENTE (18 mi away) | 0.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,471 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $219,500 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, UT | 80 mi | 4% | 1% |
| Iron County, UT | 87 mi | 6% | 1% |
| Nye County, NV | 90 mi | 3% | 4% |
| Clark County, NV | 99 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| Beaver County, UT | 102 mi | 5% | 1% |
| White Pine County, NV | 123 mi | 7% | 4% |
| Millard County, UT | 129 mi | 13% | 11% |
| Mohave County, AZ | 146 mi | 6% | under 1% |
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