Cache County, Utah
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 22% of Cache County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties and the highest of 28 Utah counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 18%.
The soil survey maps 68% 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 7 flood losses here since 2016. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.
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 Cache County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 21.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 17.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 23.7% |
| Mapped soil | 508,848 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Agassiz | 7% | n/a |
| Lucky Star | 6% | n/a |
| Yeates Hollow | 4% | n/a |
| Mendon | 4% | n/a |
| Trenton | 3% | n/a |
| Goring | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas UT602 (2025-08-26), UT603 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.8% by land area here, and 24% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 22% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 22% of Cache County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 18% of Cache 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: 28.16 in, 0.39 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 28.55 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 41 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 | 36% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $12,684 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.55 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.16 in (-0.39) |
| 2025 | 26.13 in (-2.42) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 49.49 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1966: 16.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LOGAN UTAH ST UNIV (3 mi away) | 1.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 46,665 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 39% |
| Owner-occupied | 64% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $444,400 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rich County, UT | 27 mi | 1% | 7% |
| Franklin County, ID | 31 mi | 21% | 8% |
| Weber County, UT | 33 mi | 7% | 20% |
| Bear Lake County, ID | 44 mi | 6% | 16% |
| Morgan County, UT | 45 mi | 15% | 2% |
| Oneida County, ID | 51 mi | 5% | 4% |
| Davis County, UT | 54 mi | 4% | 16% |
| Lincoln County, WY | 64 mi | 19% | 5% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 26, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status