Emery County, Utah
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 3% of Emery County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 3%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 58% 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. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Emery County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 49.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.2% |
| Mapped soil | 1,662,054 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Chipeta | 4% | n/a |
| Gerst | 4% | n/a |
| Persayo | 4% | n/a |
| Strych | 3% | n/a |
| Ravola | 3% | n/a |
| Lazear | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas UT616 (2025-08-27), UT623 (2025-08-27), UT625 (2025-08-27), UT685 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 8.34 in, 1.04 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 9.38 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 3% and a shallow water table on 3% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Emery 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 57.7% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 9.38 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 8.34 in (-1.04) |
| 2025 | 6.61 in (-2.77) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 16.29 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 4.34 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CASTLE DALE (21 mi away) | 0.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,122 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $218,700 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon County, UT | 46 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Sanpete County, UT | 52 mi | 16% | 9% |
| Wayne County, UT | 54 mi | 6% | 1% |
| Sevier County, UT | 61 mi | 2% | 6% |
| Grand County, UT | 62 mi | 4% | under 1% |
| Piute County, UT | 89 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Duchesne County, UT | 90 mi | 1% | 3% |
| Garfield County, UT | 90 mi | 4% | 1% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status