Campbell County, Wyoming
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 22% of Campbell County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 22 Wyoming counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
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. 30% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.
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 Campbell County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 22.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 65.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 22.4% |
| Mapped soil | 3,079,907 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Theedle | 7% | n/a |
| Forkwood | 5% | n/a |
| Fairburn | 4% | n/a |
| Ucross | 4% | n/a |
| Deekay | 3% | n/a |
| Cushman | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WY605 (2025-09-04), WY705 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.4% by land area here, and 22% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 22% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 22% of Campbell County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 9.68 in, 5.35 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 15.03 in.
USDA rates 66% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 37 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 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 | 89.5% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 62.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Campbell County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 15.03 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 9.68 in (-5.35) |
| 2025 | 15.62 in (+0.59) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 21.80 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1988: 8.63 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GILLETTE 4SE (6 mi away) | 1.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,023 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 30% |
| Built 2000 or later | 40% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $279,100 |
| Single-family detached | 56% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weston County, WY | 53 mi | 27% | 1% |
| Johnson County, WY | 54 mi | 18% | 1% |
| Crook County, WY | 55 mi | 46% | under 1% |
| Sheridan County, WY | 78 mi | 21% | 1% |
| Converse County, WY | 83 mi | 16% | 1% |
| Powder River County, MT | 84 mi | 30% | under 1% |
| Lawrence County, SD | 86 mi | 22% | 1% |
| Niobrara County, WY | 94 mi | 10% | 1% |
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