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Pacific County, Washington
A shallow water table limits basements on 19% of Pacific County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 33 flood losses here since 2016, 19% of them in buildings with basements. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Pacific County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 19.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.0% |
| Mapped soil | 624,593 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Elochoman | 11% | n/a |
| Lytell | 10% | n/a |
| Knappton | 9% | n/a |
| Zenker | 8% | n/a |
| Willapa | 7% | n/a |
| Palix | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WA627 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 19% of Pacific 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: 87.41 in, 0.93 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 88.34 in.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 8 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the October 21, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
33 flood losses since 2016, $849,636 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 14. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 19% basements, 3% slabs, 61% crawl spaces, 16% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 14 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 88.34 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 87.41 in (-0.93) |
| 2025 | 80.91 in (-7.43) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1950: 122.33 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1929: 50.74 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RAYMOND 2 S (7 mi away) | 22 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,325 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $334,800 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wahkiakum County, WA | 25 mi | 4% | 10% |
| Clatsop County, OR | 37 mi | 1% | 12% |
| Grays Harbor County, WA | 38 mi | 6% | 20% |
| Thurston County, WA | 52 mi | 3% | 34% |
| Columbia County, OR | 54 mi | 7% | 35% |
| Cowlitz County, WA | 58 mi | 4% | 10% |
| Mason County, WA | 62 mi | under 1% | 45% |
| Lewis County, WA | 67 mi | 7% | 20% |
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