Garfield County, Utah
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 4% of Garfield County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 60% 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. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Garfield County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 55.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 7.8% |
| Mapped soil | 1,989,094 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Moenkopie | 5% | n/a |
| Rizno | 4% | n/a |
| Chipeta | 3% | n/a |
| Reef | 3% | n/a |
| Mido | 2% | n/a |
| Arches | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas UT631 (2025-08-27), UT685 (2025-08-28), UT686 (2025-08-28), UT688 (2025-08-28), UT689 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.29 in, 0.65 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 12.94 in.
USDA rates 55% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 4% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Garfield 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 39 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 | 40.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $14,679 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 12.94 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.29 in (-0.65) |
| 2025 | 10.38 in (-2.56) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 21.63 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 5.75 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BOULDER (5 mi away) | 1.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,620 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $318,100 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, UT | 39 mi | 6% | 1% |
| Kane County, UT | 43 mi | 4% | under 1% |
| Piute County, UT | 51 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Sevier County, UT | 66 mi | 2% | 6% |
| Emery County, UT | 90 mi | 3% | 3% |
| San Juan County, UT | 92 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Iron County, UT | 101 mi | 6% | 1% |
| Beaver County, UT | 104 mi | 5% | 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