Lake County, Oregon
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 28% of Lake County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% of US counties and the 7th highest of 35 Oregon counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 11%.
The soil survey maps 86% 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 2 flood losses here since 2016. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Lake County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 27.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 10.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 28.9% |
| Mapped soil | 4,491,463 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Raz | 5% | n/a |
| Brace | 4% | n/a |
| Moonbeam | 3% | n/a |
| Ninemile | 2% | n/a |
| Anawalt | 2% | n/a |
| Goodtack | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OR635 (2025-09-10), OR636 (2025-09-10)
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 28% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 28% of Lake County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.32 in, 2.96 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 14.28 in.
USDA rates 87% 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 30 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 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 | 2.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $29,028 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 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 | 14.28 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.32 in (-2.96) |
| 2025 | 14.06 in (-0.22) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1907: 23.79 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 8.56 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SUMMER LAKE 1 S (23 mi away) | 0.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,234 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $219,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klamath County, OR | 64 mi | 20% | 21% |
| Harney County, OR | 74 mi | 34% | 15% |
| Modoc County, CA | 84 mi | 27% | 15% |
| Deschutes County, OR | 88 mi | 9% | 5% |
| Crook County, OR | 95 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Jackson County, OR | 119 mi | 31% | 19% |
| Jefferson County, OR | 134 mi | 29% | 1% |
| Wheeler County, OR | 136 mi | 27% | 1% |
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