Millard County, Utah
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 13% of Millard County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 11%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 28% 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 no flood losses here since 2016. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Millard County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 13.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 10.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 66.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 14.4% |
| Mapped soil | 1,202,602 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Uvada | 8% | n/a |
| Yenrab | 7% | n/a |
| Abraham | 3% | n/a |
| Abbott | 3% | n/a |
| Anco | 3% | n/a |
| Heist | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas UT618 (2025-08-27), UT632 (2025-08-27), UT640 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 7.24 in, 2.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 10.10 in.
USDA rates 67% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 13% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Millard 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 | 93.7% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 25.2% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Millard County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 10.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 7.24 in (-2.86) |
| 2025 | 6.95 in (-3.15) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1998: 15.13 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2020: 3.95 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BLACK ROCK (19 mi away) | 0.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,045 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $284,700 |
| Single-family detached | 90% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver County, UT | 40 mi | 5% | 1% |
| Juab County, UT | 57 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Piute County, UT | 69 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Iron County, UT | 71 mi | 6% | 1% |
| Sevier County, UT | 73 mi | 2% | 6% |
| Sanpete County, UT | 90 mi | 16% | 9% |
| White Pine County, NV | 99 mi | 7% | 4% |
| Tooele County, UT | 106 mi | 0% | 36% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status