Sanpete County, Utah
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16% of Sanpete County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 28 Utah counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 9%.
The soil survey maps 63% 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 1 flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Sanpete County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 8.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.0% |
| Mapped soil | 636,841 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Fontreen | 6% | n/a |
| Sanpete | 5% | n/a |
| Amtoft | 5% | n/a |
| Borvant | 5% | n/a |
| Atepic | 4% | n/a |
| Lizzant | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas UT608 (2025-08-26), UT627 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.7% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 16% of Sanpete County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 15.18 in, 3.95 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 19.13 in.
USDA rates 71% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 | 80.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 19.13 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 15.18 in (-3.95) |
| 2025 | 13.32 in (-5.81) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 32.08 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 10.57 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EPHRAIM (2 mi away) | 0.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,578 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $347,200 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sevier County, UT | 45 mi | 2% | 6% |
| Utah County, UT | 52 mi | 7% | 10% |
| Emery County, UT | 52 mi | 3% | 3% |
| Carbon County, UT | 57 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Juab County, UT | 69 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Wasatch County, UT | 70 mi | 11% | 5% |
| Piute County, UT | 78 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Wayne County, UT | 83 mi | 6% | 1% |
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