HomeWashingtonChelan County

Chelan County, Washington

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Chelan County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, 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 44 flood losses here since 2016, 22% of them in buildings with basements. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

2%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

47%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Chelan County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.2%
High water table (limits basements)1.9%
Septic fields very limited96.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.3%
Mapped soil2,123,040 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Entiat11%n/a
Nard4%n/a
Fears2%n/a
Saska2%n/a
Choralmont2%n/a
Wedge1%n/a
Douglas County: 0%Kittitas County: 5%Snohomish County: 1%King County: 0%Okanogan County: 0%Skagit County: 0%Grant County: 0%Whatcom County: 1%Chelan County DouglasKittitasSnohomishKingOkanoganSkagitGrantWhatcomChelan
Chelan County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas WA607 (2025-08-28), WA608 (2025-08-28), WA749 (2025-08-28), WA774 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 41.63 in, 3.99 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 37.64 in.

USDA rates 96% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Chelan 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 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 16 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse15%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

44 flood losses since 2016, $1.9 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 28. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 22% basements, 14% slabs, 39% crawl spaces, 25% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 28 in.

YearFlood losses
20163
20171
20180
20199
20200
20210
20220
20230
20241
202528
2026 to date2

Rain

Average year, 1991-202037.64 in
12 months to August 202641.63 in (+3.99)
202538.75 in (+1.11)
Wettest year since 18951933: 53.19 in
Driest year since 18951929: 20.37 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PLAIN (5 mi away)3.2

Homes

Housing units38,677
Median year built1983
Built before 198047%
Built 2000 or later28%
Owner-occupied65%
Median value, owner-occupied$490,100
Single-family detached68%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Douglas County, WA 44 mi under 1% 5%
Kittitas County, WA 51 mi 5% 14%
Snohomish County, WA 55 mi 1% 72%
King County, WA 62 mi under 1% 38%
Okanogan County, WA 62 mi 0% 3%
Skagit County, WA 69 mi under 1% 46%
Grant County, WA 70 mi 0% 2%
Whatcom County, WA 88 mi 1% 25%

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