Jackson County, Oregon
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 31% of Jackson County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties and the 5th highest of 35 Oregon counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 19%.
The soil survey maps 76% 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 19 flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Jackson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 30.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 19.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.2% |
| Mapped soil | 1,361,045 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Vannoy | 7% | n/a |
| McNull | 7% | n/a |
| Medco | 6% | n/a |
| McMullin | 6% | n/a |
| Freezener | 6% | n/a |
| Carney | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CA702 (2025-09-03), OR632 (2025-09-10), OR682 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 31% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 31% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 31% of Jackson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 19% of Jackson County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 27.29 in, 9.04 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 36.33 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 45 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 23 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 | 81.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
19 flood losses since 2016, $159,365 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 36.33 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.29 in (-9.04) |
| 2025 | 33.91 in (-2.42) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1996: 59.85 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2013: 20.45 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MEDFORD ROGUE VLY AP (10 mi away) | 1.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 97,991 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $430,200 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josephine County, OR | 46 mi | 14% | 4% |
| Klamath County, OR | 56 mi | 20% | 21% |
| Siskiyou County, CA | 57 mi | 11% | 11% |
| Douglas County, OR | 65 mi | 15% | 12% |
| Curry County, OR | 78 mi | 14% | 6% |
| Del Norte County, CA | 80 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Coos County, OR | 90 mi | 8% | 13% |
| Lane County, OR | 105 mi | 12% | 14% |
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