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Curry County, Oregon

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 14% of Curry County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 6%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 42.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 14 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

14%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

6%

high water table: limits basements

43%

in drought, October 13, 2026

47%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Curry County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)14.1%
High water table (limits basements)6.5%
Septic fields very limited97.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)14.9%
Mapped soil1,054,924 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Fritsland5%n/a
Bravo5%n/a
Cassiday4%n/a
Digger3%n/a
Umpcoos3%n/a
Remote3%n/a
Josephine County: 14%Coos County: 8%Del Norte County: no dataDouglas County: 15%Jackson County: 31%Siskiyou County: 11%Lane County: 12%Humboldt County: 10%Curry County JosephineCoosDel NorteDouglasJacksonSiskiyouLaneHumboldtCurry
Curry County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas OR015 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 61.56 in, 21.85 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 83.41 in.

USDA rates 98% 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 Curry County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

42.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse42.7%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

14 flood losses since 2016, $396,015 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 7.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20197
20200
20210
20220
20233
20242
20252
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202083.41 in
12 months to August 202661.56 in (-21.85)
202577.70 in (-5.71)
Wettest year since 18951996: 132.66 in
Driest year since 18952013: 43.21 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PORT ORFORD 5 E (21 mi away)42

Homes

Housing units13,215
Median year built1982
Built before 198047%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$381,300
Single-family detached64%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Josephine County, OR 33 mi 14% 4%
Coos County, OR 50 mi 8% 13%
Del Norte County, CA 51 mi n/a n/a
Douglas County, OR 78 mi 15% 12%
Jackson County, OR 78 mi 31% 19%
Siskiyou County, CA 105 mi 11% 11%
Lane County, OR 121 mi 12% 14%
Humboldt County, CA 122 mi 10% 19%

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