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Clallam County, Washington

A shallow water table limits basements on 42% of Clallam County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties and the 7th highest of 39 Washington counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.

The soil survey maps 76% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. 97.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

42%

high water table: limits basements

98%

in drought, October 13, 2026

47%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Clallam County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.9%
High water table (limits basements)42.2%
Septic fields very limited89.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.9%
Mapped soil842,322 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Klahowya9%n/a
Ozette8%n/a
Palix7%n/a
Elwha4%n/a
Snahopish3%n/a
Tealwhit3%n/a
Jefferson County: 39%San Juan County: 47%Island County: 65%Mason County: 45%Kitsap County: 65%Grays Harbor County: 20%Thurston County: 34%Snohomish County: 72%Clallam County JeffersonSan JuanIslandMasonKitsapGrays HarborThurstonSnohomishClallam
Clallam County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas WA609 (2025-08-28), WA632 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

On 42% of Clallam 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: 82.75 in, 7.69 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 90.44 in.

USDA rates 90% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

97.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 97.6% of its area, in 5 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 worse97.6%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

4 flood losses since 2016, $158,657 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20202
20212
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202090.44 in
12 months to August 202682.75 in (-7.69)
202577.66 in (-12.78)
Wettest year since 18951999: 120.17 in
Driest year since 18951929: 54.88 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FORKS 1 E (24 mi away)38.3

Homes

Housing units38,613
Median year built1982
Built before 198047%
Built 2000 or later23%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$421,800
Single-family detached72%

What repairs cost

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

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Jefferson County, WA 27 mi 1% 39%
San Juan County, WA 45 mi 0% 47%
Island County, WA 56 mi 0% 65%
Mason County, WA 62 mi under 1% 45%
Kitsap County, WA 66 mi under 1% 65%
Grays Harbor County, WA 69 mi 6% 20%
Thurston County, WA 95 mi 3% 34%
Snohomish County, WA 98 mi 1% 72%

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