Tooele County, Utah
A shallow water table limits basements on 36% of Tooele County's mapped land, a higher share than 54% of US counties and the highest of 28 Utah counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
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. 27% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1998.
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 Tooele County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 35.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 4,612,176 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Skumpah | 8% | n/a |
| Tooele | 6% | n/a |
| Saltair | 6% | n/a |
| Amtoft | 5% | n/a |
| Hiko Peak | 4% | n/a |
| Cliffdown | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas UT611 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
On 36% of Tooele County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 7.98 in, 2.52 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 10.50 in.
USDA rates 74% 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 29 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 | 52.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $43,317 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 10.50 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 7.98 in (-2.52) |
| 2025 | 7.13 in (-3.37) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 17.60 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2020: 5.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DUGWAY (22 mi away) | 0 |
Homes
| Housing units | 24,965 |
| Median year built | 1998 |
| Built before 1980 | 27% |
| Built 2000 or later | 46% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $431,600 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juab County, UT | 55 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Davis County, UT | 62 mi | 4% | 16% |
| Salt Lake County, UT | 65 mi | 13% | 17% |
| Box Elder County, UT | 80 mi | 2% | 23% |
| Utah County, UT | 80 mi | 7% | 10% |
| Weber County, UT | 86 mi | 7% | 20% |
| Morgan County, UT | 92 mi | 15% | 2% |
| Wasatch County, UT | 104 mi | 11% | 5% |
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