Washakie County, Wyoming
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 5% of Washakie County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, 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 1 flood losses here since 2016. 68% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Washakie County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 46.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.5% |
| Mapped soil | 1,435,322 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Persayo | 9% | n/a |
| Kishona | 5% | n/a |
| Youngston | 4% | n/a |
| Shingle | 3% | n/a |
| Forkwood | 3% | n/a |
| Lostwells | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WY043 (2025-09-04), WY650 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 9.05 in, 3.43 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 12.48 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 5% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Washakie 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 47 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 | 97.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 12.48 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 9.05 in (-3.43) |
| 2025 | 12.74 in (+0.26) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 18.40 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 6.28 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WORLAND (15 mi away) | 0.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,854 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $206,000 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs County, WY | 40 mi | 17% | 3% |
| Big Horn County, WY | 47 mi | 12% | 4% |
| Johnson County, WY | 55 mi | 18% | 1% |
| Sheridan County, WY | 74 mi | 21% | 1% |
| Fremont County, WY | 74 mi | 4% | 3% |
| Natrona County, WY | 77 mi | 17% | 1% |
| Park County, WY | 104 mi | 12% | 9% |
| Big Horn County, MT | 106 mi | 30% | 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