BasementSoil

Kentucky: basement moisture and foundation risk by county

120 counties, ranked by our combined index. Highest combined risk is Carlisle County (73), lowest is Harlan County (30). The worst soil for foundation cracks specifically is in Carlisle County.

Where in Kentucky the ground is worse

Every county in the state, coloured by the soil values below. Click a county to open its report; switch what the colour means with the buttons. The pattern is geology, not administration — risk stops at the edge of a physiographic region, not at a county line.

Adair County, KY — combined 48/100, moisture 46, movement 39, water table 66Allen County, KY — combined 58/100, moisture 44, movement 71, water table 66Anderson County, KY — combined 37/100, moisture 35, movement 33, water table 46Ballard County, KY — combined 65/100, moisture 65, movement 54, water table 82Barren County, KY — combined 55/100, moisture 42, movement 66, water table 66Bath County, KY — combined 48/100, moisture 36, movement 51, water table 66Bell County, KY — combined 40/100, moisture 37, movement 51, water table 30Boone County, KY — combined 36/100, moisture 37, movement 38, water table 30Bourbon County, KY — combined 36/100, moisture 37, movement 39, water table 30Boyd County, KY — combined 36/100, moisture 35, movement 41, water table 30Boyle County, KY — combined 44/100, moisture 46, movement 52, water table 30Bracken County, KY — combined 41/100, moisture 36, movement 43, water table 46Breathitt County, KY — combined 35/100, moisture 38, movement 35, water table 30Breckinridge County, KY — combined 43/100, moisture 43, movement 42, water table 46Bullitt County, KY — combined 33/100, moisture 36, movement 41, water table 16Butler County, KY — combined 42/100, moisture 45, movement 45, water table 30Caldwell County, KY — combined 51/100, moisture 47, movement 60, water table 46Calloway County, KY — combined 43/100, moisture 44, movement 50, water table 30Campbell County, KY — combined 37/100, moisture 39, movement 39, water table 30Carlisle County, KY — combined 73/100, moisture 63, movement 82, water table 82Carroll County, KY — combined 44/100, moisture 36, movement 64, water table 30Carter County, KY — combined 42/100, moisture 38, movement 44, water table 46Casey County, KY — combined 52/100, moisture 43, movement 69, water table 46Christian County, KY — combined 55/100, moisture 45, movement 62, water table 66Clark County, KY — combined 44/100, moisture 36, movement 54, water table 46Clay County, KY — combined 32/100, moisture 34, movement 31, water table 30Clinton County, KY — combined 44/100, moisture 46, movement 52, water table 30Crittenden County, KY — combined 55/100, moisture 46, movement 73, water table 46Cumberland County, KY — combined 53/100, moisture 44, movement 56, water table 66Daviess County, KY — combined 43/100, moisture 45, movement 37, water table 46Edmonson County, KY — combined 50/100, moisture 43, movement 49, water table 66Elliott County, KY — combined 38/100, moisture 38, movement 31, water table 46Estill County, KY — combined 38/100, moisture 35, movement 48, water table 30Fayette County, KY — combined 33/100, moisture 37, movement 39, water table 16Fleming County, KY — combined 34/100, moisture 34, movement 37, water table 30Floyd County, KY — combined 37/100, moisture 34, movement 47, water table 30Franklin County, KY — combined 43/100, moisture 40, movement 44, water table 46Fulton County, KY — combined 69/100, moisture 64, movement 56, water table 95Gallatin County, KY — combined 39/100, moisture 39, movement 47, water table 30Garrard County, KY — combined 54/100, moisture 42, movement 61, water table 66Grant County, KY — combined 44/100, moisture 39, movement 61, water table 30Graves County, KY — combined 72/100, moisture 63, movement 77, water table 82Grayson County, KY — combined 46/100, moisture 44, movement 60, water table 30Green County, KY — combined 52/100, moisture 46, movement 49, water table 66Greenup County, KY — combined 35/100, moisture 37, movement 25, water table 46Hancock County, KY — combined 40/100, moisture 43, movement 43, water table 30Hardin County, KY — combined 52/100, moisture 43, movement 70, water table 46Harlan County, KY — combined 30/100, moisture 34, movement 34, water table 16Harrison County, KY — combined 42/100, moisture 37, movement 45, water table 46Hart County, KY — combined 49/100, moisture 42, movement 48, water table 66Henderson County, KY — combined 53/100, moisture 43, movement 59, water table 66Henry County, KY — combined 39/100, moisture 39, movement 44, water table 30Hickman County, KY — combined 71/100, moisture 63, movement 73, water table 82Hopkins County, KY — combined 50/100, moisture 46, movement 70, water table 30Jackson County, KY — combined 38/100, moisture 38, movement 33, water table 46Jefferson County, KY — combined 36/100, moisture 38, movement 37, water table 30Jessamine County, KY — combined 44/100, moisture 38, movement 61, water table 30Johnson County, KY — combined 34/100, moisture 37, movement 33, water table 30Kenton County, KY — combined 41/100, moisture 36, movement 43, water table 46Knott County, KY — combined 38/100, moisture 34, movement 49, water table 30Knox County, KY — combined 36/100, moisture 36, movement 40, water table 30Larue County, KY — combined 58/100, moisture 45, movement 71, water table 66Laurel County, KY — combined 35/100, moisture 36, movement 38, water table 30Lawrence County, KY — combined 35/100, moisture 34, movement 27, water table 46Lee County, KY — combined 36/100, moisture 34, movement 52, water table 16Leslie County, KY — combined 42/100, moisture 34, movement 50, water table 46Letcher County, KY — combined 38/100, moisture 34, movement 48, water table 30Lewis County, KY — combined 33/100, moisture 36, movement 30, water table 30Lincoln County, KY — combined 59/100, moisture 45, movement 73, water table 66Livingston County, KY — combined 49/100, moisture 43, movement 71, water table 30Logan County, KY — combined 45/100, moisture 43, movement 46, water table 46Lyon County, KY — combined 48/100, moisture 45, movement 39, water table 66Madison County, KY — combined 33/100, moisture 34, movement 34, water table 30Magoffin County, KY — combined 36/100, moisture 35, movement 41, water table 30Marion County, KY — combined 51/100, moisture 43, movement 52, water table 66Marshall County, KY — combined 52/100, moisture 44, movement 54, water table 66Martin County, KY — combined 42/100, moisture 36, movement 49, water table 46Mason County, KY — combined 35/100, moisture 38, movement 35, water table 30McCracken County, KY — combined 69/100, moisture 62, movement 71, water table 82McCreary County, KY — combined 50/100, moisture 46, movement 71, water table 30McLean County, KY — combined 44/100, moisture 47, movement 37, water table 46Meade County, KY — combined 51/100, moisture 44, movement 50, water table 66Menifee County, KY — combined 36/100, moisture 35, movement 43, water table 30Mercer County, KY — combined 47/100, moisture 37, movement 61, water table 46Metcalfe County, KY — combined 47/100, moisture 42, movement 56, water table 46Monroe County, KY — combined 48/100, moisture 43, movement 41, water table 66Montgomery County, KY — combined 41/100, moisture 38, movement 43, water table 46Morgan County, KY — combined 39/100, moisture 36, movement 39, water table 46Muhlenberg County, KY — combined 49/100, moisture 43, movement 71, water table 30Nelson County, KY — combined 42/100, moisture 39, movement 56, water table 30Nicholas County, KY — combined 47/100, moisture 35, movement 65, water table 46Ohio County, KY — combined 51/100, moisture 42, movement 67, water table 46Oldham County, KY — combined 41/100, moisture 39, movement 40, water table 46Owen County, KY — combined 42/100, moisture 36, movement 48, water table 46Owsley County, KY — combined 38/100, moisture 36, movement 46, water table 30Pendleton County, KY — combined 38/100, moisture 37, movement 44, water table 30Perry County, KY — combined 41/100, moisture 35, movement 46, water table 46Pike County, KY — combined 36/100, moisture 35, movement 31, water table 46Powell County, KY — combined 32/100, moisture 34, movement 40, water table 16Pulaski County, KY — combined 39/100, moisture 45, movement 38, water table 30Robertson County, KY — combined 44/100, moisture 38, movement 64, water table 30Rockcastle County, KY — combined 46/100, moisture 44, movement 59, water table 30Rowan County, KY — combined 37/100, moisture 35, movement 33, water table 46Russell County, KY — combined 47/100, moisture 45, movement 51, water table 46Scott County, KY — combined 36/100, moisture 38, movement 37, water table 30Shelby County, KY — combined 47/100, moisture 39, movement 59, water table 46Simpson County, KY — combined 50/100, moisture 43, movement 62, water table 46Spencer County, KY — combined 34/100, moisture 37, movement 34, water table 30Taylor County, KY — combined 49/100, moisture 46, movement 40, water table 66Todd County, KY — combined 40/100, moisture 43, movement 44, water table 30Trigg County, KY — combined 50/100, moisture 46, movement 43, water table 66Trimble County, KY — combined 38/100, moisture 36, movement 48, water table 30Union County, KY — combined 46/100, moisture 42, movement 63, water table 30Warren County, KY — combined 51/100, moisture 43, movement 50, water table 66Washington County, KY — combined 38/100, moisture 37, movement 45, water table 30Wayne County, KY — combined 55/100, moisture 46, movement 60, water table 66Webster County, KY — combined 56/100, moisture 43, movement 67, water table 66Whitley County, KY — combined 35/100, moisture 34, movement 28, water table 46Wolfe County, KY — combined 39/100, moisture 34, movement 52, water table 30Woodford County, KY — combined 45/100, moisture 37, movement 57, water table 46
  • Low (0–27)
  • Moderate (28–49)
  • Elevated (50–74)
  • High (75–100)

County boundaries: US Census TIGER (public domain), simplified for display. Colours are our index from USDA SSURGO fields where loaded, otherwise from our regional model — each county page states which. How the index is calculated.

CountyIndexMoistureCracksWater tableRegion
Carlisle County73638282Mississippi alluvial plain
Graves County72637782Mississippi alluvial plain
Hickman County71637382Mississippi alluvial plain
Fulton County69645695Mississippi alluvial plain
McCracken County69627182Mississippi alluvial plain
Ballard County65655482Mississippi alluvial plain
Lincoln County59457366Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Allen County58447166Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Larue County58457166Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Webster County56436766Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Barren County55426666Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Christian County55456266Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Crittenden County55467346Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Wayne County55466066Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Garrard County54426166Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Cumberland County53445666Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Henderson County53435966Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Casey County52436946Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Green County52464966Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Hardin County52437046Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Marshall County52445466Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Caldwell County51476046Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Marion County51435266Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Meade County51445066Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Ohio County51426746Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Warren County51435066Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Edmonson County50434966Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Hopkins County50467030Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
McCreary County50467130Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Simpson County50436246Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Trigg County50464366Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Hart County49424866Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Livingston County49437130Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Muhlenberg County49437130Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Taylor County49464066Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Adair County48463966Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Bath County48365166Appalachian Plateau
Lyon County48453966Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Monroe County48434166Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Mercer County47376146Bluegrass karst plateau
Metcalfe County47425646Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Nicholas County47356546Bluegrass karst plateau
Russell County47455146Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Shelby County47395946Bluegrass karst plateau
Grayson County46446030Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Rockcastle County46445930Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Union County46426330Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Logan County45434646Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Woodford County45375746Bluegrass karst plateau
Boyle County44465230Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Carroll County44366430Bluegrass karst plateau
Clark County44365446Bluegrass karst plateau
Clinton County44465230Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Grant County44396130Bluegrass karst plateau
Jessamine County44386130Bluegrass karst plateau
McLean County44473746Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Robertson County44386430Bluegrass karst plateau
Breckinridge County43434246Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Calloway County43445030Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Daviess County43453746Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Franklin County43404446Bluegrass karst plateau
Butler County42454530Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Carter County42384446Appalachian Plateau
Harrison County42374546Bluegrass karst plateau
Leslie County42345046Appalachian Plateau
Martin County42364946Appalachian Plateau
Nelson County42395630Bluegrass karst plateau
Owen County42364846Bluegrass karst plateau
Bracken County41364346Bluegrass karst plateau
Kenton County41364346Bluegrass karst plateau
Montgomery County41384346Appalachian Plateau
Oldham County41394046Bluegrass karst plateau
Perry County41354646Appalachian Plateau
Bell County40375130Appalachian Plateau
Hancock County40434330Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Todd County40434430Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Gallatin County39394730Bluegrass karst plateau
Henry County39394430Bluegrass karst plateau
Morgan County39363946Appalachian Plateau
Pulaski County39453830Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field
Wolfe County39345230Appalachian Plateau
Elliott County38383146Appalachian Plateau
Estill County38354830Appalachian Plateau
Jackson County38383346Appalachian Plateau
Knott County38344930Appalachian Plateau
Letcher County38344830Appalachian Plateau
Owsley County38364630Appalachian Plateau
Pendleton County38374430Bluegrass karst plateau
Trimble County38364830Bluegrass karst plateau
Washington County38374530Bluegrass karst plateau
Anderson County37353346Bluegrass karst plateau
Campbell County37393930Bluegrass karst plateau
Floyd County37344730Appalachian Plateau
Rowan County37353346Appalachian Plateau
Boone County36373830Bluegrass karst plateau
Bourbon County36373930Bluegrass karst plateau
Boyd County36354130Appalachian Plateau
Jefferson County36383730Bluegrass karst plateau
Knox County36364030Appalachian Plateau
Lee County36345216Appalachian Plateau
Magoffin County36354130Appalachian Plateau
Menifee County36354330Appalachian Plateau
Pike County36353146Appalachian Plateau
Scott County36383730Bluegrass karst plateau
Breathitt County35383530Appalachian Plateau
Greenup County35372546Appalachian Plateau
Laurel County35363830Appalachian Plateau
Lawrence County35342746Appalachian Plateau
Mason County35383530Appalachian Plateau
Whitley County35342846Appalachian Plateau
Fleming County34343730Appalachian Plateau
Johnson County34373330Appalachian Plateau
Spencer County34373430Bluegrass karst plateau
Bullitt County33364116Bluegrass karst plateau
Fayette County33373916Bluegrass karst plateau
Lewis County33363030Appalachian Plateau
Madison County33343430Appalachian Plateau
Clay County32343130Appalachian Plateau
Powell County32344016Appalachian Plateau
Harlan County30343416Appalachian Plateau

Values from USDA NRCS SSURGO where available, otherwise our regional model — each county page states which. Methodology.

The physiographic regions inside Kentucky

State lines are political; soil follows geology. These are the distinct ground types inside Kentucky and why each behaves the way it does.

Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field

A fragipan is a compacted layer that neither roots nor water penetrate. Water perches on it and travels sideways to the first excavation it meets.

48 counties: Adair County, Allen County, Barren County, Boyle County, Breckinridge County, Butler County, Caldwell County, Calloway County, Casey County, Christian County, Clinton County, Crittenden County, Cumberland County, Daviess County, Edmonson County, Garrard County, Grayson County, Green County, Hancock County, Hardin County, Hart County, Henderson County, Hopkins County, Larue County, Lincoln County, Livingston County, Logan County, Lyon County, Marion County, Marshall County, McCreary County, McLean County, Meade County, Metcalfe County, Monroe County, Muhlenberg County, Ohio County, Pulaski County, Rockcastle County, Russell County, Simpson County, Taylor County, Todd County, Trigg County, Union County, Warren County, Wayne County, Webster County

Appalachian Plateau

Water travels over bedrock under a thin skin of colluvium. A house cut into a hillside has an entire catchment behind its uphill wall — what decides the outcome here is a daylight drain, not a coating.

36 counties: Bath County, Bell County, Boyd County, Breathitt County, Carter County, Clay County, Elliott County, Estill County, Fleming County, Floyd County, Greenup County, Harlan County, Jackson County, Johnson County, Knott County, Knox County, Laurel County, Lawrence County, Lee County, Leslie County, Letcher County, Lewis County, Madison County, Magoffin County, Martin County, Mason County, Menifee County, Montgomery County, Morgan County, Owsley County, Perry County, Pike County, Powell County, Rowan County, Whitley County, Wolfe County

Bluegrass karst plateau

Karst can keep a basement dry for decades and then flood it in an hour when an underground route surcharges. A pump sized for the average is not sized for that.

30 counties: Anderson County, Boone County, Bourbon County, Bracken County, Bullitt County, Campbell County, Carroll County, Clark County, Fayette County, Franklin County, Gallatin County, Grant County, Harrison County, Henry County, Jefferson County, Jessamine County, Kenton County, Mercer County, Nelson County, Nicholas County, Oldham County, Owen County, Pendleton County, Robertson County, Scott County, Shelby County, Spencer County, Trimble County, Washington County, Woodford County

Mississippi alluvial plain

Basements are rare here and that is sensible. Where they exist they are under more or less permanent groundwater pressure — not a case for a one-off repair, but for a pump with a backup that never stops mattering.

6 counties: Ballard County, Carlisle County, Fulton County, Graves County, Hickman County, McCracken County

Page data updated