Wayne County, Utah
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 6% of Wayne 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 80% 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. 46% 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 Wayne County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 41.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.4% |
| Mapped soil | 1,253,860 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Chipeta | 6% | n/a |
| Sheppard | 6% | n/a |
| Begay | 5% | n/a |
| Moenkopie | 5% | n/a |
| Moffat | 4% | n/a |
| Mido | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas UT629 (2025-08-27), UT631 (2025-08-27), UT685 (2025-08-28), UT688 (2025-08-28), UT689 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 7.92 in, 1.45 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 9.37 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 6% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Wayne 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 50.7% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Wayne County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 9.37 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 7.92 in (-1.45) |
| 2025 | 6.58 in (-2.79) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 15.57 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 4.33 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CAPITOL REEF NP (15 mi away) | 0.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,735 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $411,800 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield County, UT | 39 mi | 4% | 1% |
| Emery County, UT | 54 mi | 3% | 3% |
| Sevier County, UT | 56 mi | 2% | 6% |
| Piute County, UT | 62 mi | n/a | n/a |
| San Juan County, UT | 80 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Kane County, UT | 82 mi | 4% | under 1% |
| Sanpete County, UT | 83 mi | 16% | 9% |
| Grand County, UT | 91 mi | 4% | under 1% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status