Washington County, Utah
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 4% of Washington 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 72% 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 22 flood losses here since 2016. 11% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2003.
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 Washington County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 43.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.5% |
| Mapped soil | 1,124,836 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Cave | 7% | n/a |
| Bond | 3% | n/a |
| Motoqua | 2% | n/a |
| Pintura | 2% | n/a |
| Quazo | 2% | n/a |
| Pastura | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas UT634 (2025-08-27), UT641 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.27 in, 1.93 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 15.20 in.
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 Washington 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 | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
22 flood losses since 2016, $807,871 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 15.20 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 13.27 in (-1.93) |
| 2025 | 12.91 in (-2.29) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1978: 26.74 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 6.06 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ST GEORGE (12 mi away) | 0.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 82,189 |
| Median year built | 2003 |
| Built before 1980 | 11% |
| Built 2000 or later | 57% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $510,700 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County, UT | 46 mi | 6% | 1% |
| Beaver County, UT | 77 mi | 5% | 1% |
| Lincoln County, NV | 80 mi | 6% | 1% |
| Kane County, UT | 92 mi | 4% | under 1% |
| Piute County, UT | 105 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Mohave County, AZ | 108 mi | 6% | under 1% |
| Clark County, NV | 111 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| Millard County, UT | 117 mi | 13% | 11% |
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