Pershing County, Nevada
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 11% of Pershing County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 4%, 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. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Pershing County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 72.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.1% |
| Mapped soil | 3,786,955 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Mazuma | 5% | n/a |
| Theon | 3% | n/a |
| Bluewing | 3% | n/a |
| Dorper | 3% | n/a |
| Oxcorel | 2% | n/a |
| Shawave | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NV602 (2025-08-28), NV761 (2025-09-02), NV769 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 7.66 in, 1.46 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 9.12 in.
USDA rates 72% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 11% and a shallow water table on 4% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Pershing 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 31 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 | 63.5% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Pershing County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 9.12 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 7.66 in (-1.46) |
| 2025 | 7.17 in (-1.95) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1998: 19.86 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1929: 3.20 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RYE PATCH DAM (6 mi away) | 0.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,297 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $179,500 |
| Single-family detached | 37% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Churchill County, NV | 63 mi | 11% | 11% |
| Humboldt County, NV | 68 mi | 21% | 9% |
| Washoe County, NV | 69 mi | 34% | 3% |
| Lander County, NV | 81 mi | 11% | 6% |
| Storey County, NV | 91 mi | 30% | under 1% |
| Lyon County, NV | 107 mi | 11% | 8% |
| Carson City, NV | 114 mi | 11% | 5% |
| Lassen County, CA | 117 mi | 21% | 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