Albany County, Wyoming
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 5% of Albany County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 7%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 85% 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 4 flood losses here since 2016. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Albany County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 7.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 50.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.1% |
| Mapped soil | 2,320,491 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Forelle | 4% | n/a |
| Boyle | 3% | n/a |
| Rock River | 3% | n/a |
| Rogert | 3% | n/a |
| Alcova | 3% | n/a |
| Diamondville | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WY601 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.83 in, 1.12 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 14.95 in.
USDA rates 51% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 5% and a shallow water table on 7% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Albany 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 35 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 | 42.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $113,600 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 14.95 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 13.83 in (-1.12) |
| 2025 | 14.36 in (-0.59) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 21.48 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 9.82 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SYBILLE RSCH UNIT (19 mi away) | 1.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,851 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 50% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $333,000 |
| Single-family detached | 50% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platte County, WY | 51 mi | under 1% | 2% |
| Laramie County, WY | 61 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Carbon County, WY | 62 mi | 9% | 5% |
| Larimer County, CO | 71 mi | 6% | 4% |
| Jackson County, CO | 76 mi | 18% | 16% |
| Goshen County, WY | 76 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Converse County, WY | 92 mi | 16% | 1% |
| Banner County, NE | 103 mi | under 1% | 2% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status