Rich County, Utah
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Rich County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 7%, 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. 42% 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 Rich County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 70.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.1% |
| Mapped soil | 696,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Kearl | 6% | n/a |
| Pancheri | 5% | n/a |
| Duckree | 4% | n/a |
| Dagan | 4% | n/a |
| Solak | 3% | n/a |
| Cutoff | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas UT604 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 18.01 in, 0.58 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 17.43 in.
USDA rates 71% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 7% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Rich 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 | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Rich County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 17.43 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.01 in (+0.58) |
| 2025 | 15.30 in (-2.13) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 26.90 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1939: 9.24 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RANDOLPH (4 mi away) | 0.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,373 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 42% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $334,600 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cache County, UT | 27 mi | 22% | 18% |
| Morgan County, UT | 41 mi | 15% | 2% |
| Weber County, UT | 41 mi | 7% | 20% |
| Uinta County, WY | 43 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Bear Lake County, ID | 46 mi | 6% | 16% |
| Franklin County, ID | 48 mi | 21% | 8% |
| Lincoln County, WY | 51 mi | 19% | 5% |
| Summit County, UT | 54 mi | 9% | 6% |
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