Baker County, Oregon
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 47% of Baker County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties and the highest of 35 Oregon counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 7%.
The soil survey maps 71% 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 1 flood losses here since 2016. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1967.
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 Baker County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 46.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 52.6% |
| Mapped soil | 1,387,073 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Ateron | 8% | n/a |
| Durkee | 4% | n/a |
| Ruclick | 4% | n/a |
| Ruckles | 4% | n/a |
| Virtue | 3% | n/a |
| Snell | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OR604 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.2% by land area here, and 53% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 47% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 47% of Baker County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 16.74 in, 4.22 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 20.96 in.
USDA rates 96% 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 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 | 30.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 20.96 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 16.74 in (-4.22) |
| 2025 | 19.39 in (-1.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1998: 29.86 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1935: 12.24 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BAKER CITY MUNI AP (11 mi away) | 0.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,725 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $285,600 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, OR | 44 mi | 26% | 21% |
| Washington County, ID | 47 mi | 33% | 3% |
| Adams County, ID | 62 mi | 9% | 7% |
| Wallowa County, OR | 66 mi | 31% | 11% |
| Grant County, OR | 67 mi | 15% | 4% |
| Payette County, ID | 67 mi | 4% | 9% |
| Gem County, ID | 78 mi | 19% | 9% |
| Umatilla County, OR | 80 mi | 7% | 3% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status