Storey County, Nevada
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 30% of Storey County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 17 Nevada counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
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. 36% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Storey County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 29.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 29.4% |
| Mapped soil | 160,570 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Ceejay | 17% | n/a |
| Doorkiss | 17% | n/a |
| Ister | 10% | n/a |
| Reywat | 9% | n/a |
| Devada | 7% | n/a |
| Duco | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NV603 (2025-08-28), NV772 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 29% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 30% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 30% of Storey County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.43 in, 0.50 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 11.93 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 9 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 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 | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Storey County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 11.93 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.43 in (-0.50) |
| 2025 | 14.18 in (+2.25) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 23.84 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1947: 4.57 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at VIRGINIA CITY (11 mi away) | 2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,038 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 36% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 96% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $426,400 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carson City, NV | 23 mi | 11% | 5% |
| Lyon County, NV | 34 mi | 11% | 8% |
| Douglas County, NV | 37 mi | 20% | 9% |
| Sierra County, CA | 54 mi | 5% | 9% |
| Alpine County, CA | 60 mi | 2% | 7% |
| Nevada County, CA | 66 mi | 2% | 1% |
| Churchill County, NV | 68 mi | 11% | 11% |
| Placer County, CA | 69 mi | 7% | 4% |
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