Duchesne County, Utah
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Duchesne County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 3%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Duchesne County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 38.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.9% |
| Mapped soil | 2,079,543 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Walknolls | 3% | n/a |
| Gompers | 1% | n/a |
| Hideout | 1% | n/a |
| Moonshine | 1% | n/a |
| Whitesage | 1% | n/a |
| Gerst | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 16.76 in, 0.71 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 17.47 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 3% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Duchesne County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 52 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 | 8.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Duchesne County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 17.47 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 16.76 in (-0.71) |
| 2025 | 13.67 in (-3.80) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 27.22 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1974: 8.39 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DUCHESNE (8 mi away) | 0.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,028 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $283,700 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wasatch County, UT | 39 mi | 11% | 5% |
| Carbon County, UT | 43 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Summit County, UT | 49 mi | 9% | 6% |
| Uintah County, UT | 49 mi | 3% | 3% |
| Daggett County, UT | 64 mi | 2% | 1% |
| Utah County, UT | 66 mi | 7% | 10% |
| Uinta County, WY | 69 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Morgan County, UT | 82 mi | 15% | 2% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status