Harney County, Oregon
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 34% of Harney County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 35 Oregon counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 15%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 64% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Harney County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 34.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 14.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 37.5% |
| Mapped soil | 6,032,528 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Raz | 7% | n/a |
| Ninemile | 6% | n/a |
| Brace | 4% | n/a |
| Anawalt | 4% | n/a |
| Carryback | 4% | n/a |
| Actem | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OR628 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.0% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 34% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 34% of Harney County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 10.03 in, 2.56 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 12.59 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 19 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 | 42.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $110,872 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 12.59 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 10.03 in (-2.56) |
| 2025 | 11.94 in (-0.65) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 22.16 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1898: 7.50 in |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,732 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $242,100 |
| Single-family detached | 63% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malheur County, OR | 70 mi | 19% | 4% |
| Lake County, OR | 74 mi | 28% | 11% |
| Grant County, OR | 99 mi | 15% | 4% |
| Crook County, OR | 103 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Canyon County, ID | 121 mi | 1% | 14% |
| Humboldt County, NV | 123 mi | 21% | 9% |
| Wheeler County, OR | 127 mi | 27% | 1% |
| Deschutes County, OR | 127 mi | 9% | 5% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 10, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status