HomeWashingtonFranklin County

Franklin County, Washington

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Franklin County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on under 1%, 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 no flood losses here since 2016. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

<1%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

37%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Franklin County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)0.5%
Septic fields very limited50.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil806,347 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Quincy19%n/a
Ritzville18%n/a
Sagehill8%n/a
Shano5%n/a
Warden5%n/a
Roloff5%n/a
Walla Walla County: 0%Benton County: 0%Adams County: 0%Columbia County: 0%Grant County: 0%Garfield County: 13%Umatilla County: 7%Whitman County: 1%Franklin County Walla WallaBentonAdamsColumbiaGrantGarfieldUmatillaWhitmanFranklin
Franklin 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 WA021 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 9.93 in, 0.29 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 9.64 in.

USDA rates 51% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Franklin 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 20 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 worse0.4%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Franklin County since 2016.

Rain

Average year, 1991-20209.64 in
12 months to August 20269.93 in (+0.29)
202510.58 in (+0.94)
Wettest year since 18951996: 14.80 in
Driest year since 18951976: 5.20 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ICE HARBOR DAM (20 mi away)0.2

Homes

Housing units31,183
Median year built1997
Built before 198037%
Built 2000 or later47%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$379,300
Single-family detached74%

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
Walla Walla County, WA 28 mi 0% 4%
Benton County, WA 36 mi 0% 1%
Adams County, WA 39 mi under 1% 2%
Columbia County, WA 51 mi under 1% 4%
Grant County, WA 54 mi 0% 2%
Garfield County, WA 65 mi 13% 2%
Umatilla County, OR 66 mi 7% 3%
Whitman County, WA 70 mi 1% 15%

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