Ranked from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
Driest Counties in Kentucky
The least rainfall in the country. Dry is easier on a building than wet, but it moves the cost somewhere else: irrigation, foundation movement in shrink-swell soils, and in the driest counties the price and reliability of water itself. Figures are NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals from the weather station nearest each county seat, so they describe a thirty-year average rather than any single year.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
Kentucky ranked
| # | County | Annual rainfall | FEMA risk rating | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Campbell County | 43.4" | Relatively Low | $234,500 |
| 2 | Boyd County | 45.1" | Relatively Low | $126,300 |
| 3 | Boone County | 45.3" | Relatively Low | $253,200 |
| 4 | Kenton County | 45.3" | Relatively Low | $227,500 |
| 5 | McLean County | 45.6" | Very Low | $145,600 |
| 6 | Grant County | 45.9" | Very Low | $185,500 |
| 7 | Pendleton County | 45.9" | Very Low | $160,800 |
| 8 | Mercer County | 45.9" | Very Low | $189,700 |
| 9 | Lawrence County | 46.1" | Relatively Low | $108,100 |
| 10 | Johnson County | 46.2" | Relatively Low | $125,300 |
| 11 | Elliott County | 46.9" | Very Low | $97,400 |
| 12 | Morgan County | 46.9" | Very Low | $106,000 |
| 13 | Trigg County | 47.2" | Relatively Low | $192,000 |
| 14 | Anderson County | 47.3" | Very Low | $213,200 |
| 15 | Franklin County | 47.3" | Relatively Low | $198,700 |
| 16 | Henry County | 47.3" | Very Low | $181,300 |
| 17 | Owen County | 47.3" | Very Low | $165,000 |
| 18 | Bracken County | 47.5" | Very Low | $116,400 |
| 19 | Henderson County | 47.6" | Relatively Low | $165,700 |
| 20 | Gallatin County | 47.7" | Very Low | $169,400 |
| 21 | Harrison County | 47.7" | Very Low | $188,900 |
| 22 | Martin County | 47.7" | Relatively Low | $84,900 |
| 23 | Nicholas County | 47.7" | Very Low | $119,600 |
| 24 | Robertson County | 47.7" | Very Low | $123,400 |
| 25 | Boyle County | 47.9" | Very Low | $200,700 |
| 26 | Daviess County | 47.9" | Relatively Moderate | $185,800 |
| 27 | Scott County | 48.1" | Relatively Low | $264,200 |
| 28 | Woodford County | 48.1" | Very Low | $270,400 |
| 29 | Jefferson County | 48.1" | Relatively High | $237,200 |
| 30 | Carter County | 48.2" | Relatively Low | $126,100 |
| 31 | Greenup County | 48.2" | Relatively Low | $135,300 |
| 32 | Lewis County | 48.2" | Very Low | $86,100 |
| 33 | Union County | 48.2" | Very Low | $109,000 |
| 34 | Pike County | 48.3" | Relatively Moderate | $104,200 |
| 35 | Mason County | 48.3" | Very Low | $157,500 |
| 36 | Carroll County | 48.5" | Very Low | $129,800 |
| 37 | Montgomery County | 48.5" | Very Low | $163,800 |
| 38 | Webster County | 48.5" | Very Low | $97,600 |
| 39 | Breathitt County | 49.0" | Relatively Low | $61,800 |
| 40 | Hancock County | 49.0" | Very Low | $137,600 |
| 41 | Livingston County | 49.3" | Very Low | $116,300 |
| 42 | Cumberland County | 49.6" | Very Low | $128,600 |
| 43 | Monroe County | 49.6" | Very Low | $116,300 |
| 44 | Grayson County | 49.8" | Relatively Low | $160,100 |
| 45 | Fleming County | 49.8" | Very Low | $115,200 |
| 46 | Shelby County | 49.8" | Relatively Low | $277,500 |
| 47 | Bourbon County | 49.8" | Very Low | $211,600 |
| 48 | Fayette County | 49.8" | Relatively Moderate | $272,100 |
| 49 | Jessamine County | 49.8" | Very Low | $245,100 |
| 50 | Madison County | 49.8" | Relatively Low | $220,700 |
| 51 | Butler County | 50.1" | Very Low | $105,500 |
| 52 | Simpson County | 50.1" | Very Low | $195,700 |
| 53 | Warren County | 50.1" | Relatively Moderate | $242,600 |
| 54 | Graves County | 50.3" | Relatively Moderate | $139,000 |
| 55 | McCracken County | 50.3" | Relatively Moderate | $182,900 |
| 56 | Marshall County | 50.3" | Relatively Low | $173,700 |
| 57 | Garrard County | 50.5" | Very Low | $186,800 |
| 58 | Letcher County | 50.5" | Relatively Low | $70,500 |
| 59 | Lincoln County | 50.5" | Very Low | $139,300 |
| 60 | Bath County | 50.8" | Very Low | $111,800 |
| 61 | Menifee County | 50.8" | Very Low | $111,500 |
| 62 | Rowan County | 50.8" | Relatively Low | $155,900 |
| 63 | Muhlenberg County | 50.8" | Relatively Low | $121,300 |
| 64 | Caldwell County | 50.9" | Very Low | $113,500 |
| 65 | Crittenden County | 50.9" | Very Low | $115,700 |
| 66 | Clark County | 50.9" | Very Low | $197,900 |
| 67 | Estill County | 50.9" | Very Low | $111,900 |
| 68 | Lee County | 51.0" | Very Low | $82,100 |
| 69 | Trimble County | 51.0" | Very Low | $172,700 |
| 70 | Ballard County | 51.0" | Very Low | $132,900 |
| 71 | Carlisle County | 51.0" | Very Low | $104,700 |
| 72 | Hickman County | 51.0" | Very Low | $92,300 |
| 73 | Clay County | 51.3" | Relatively Low | $87,300 |
| 74 | Jackson County | 51.3" | Very Low | $107,000 |
| 75 | Laurel County | 51.3" | Relatively Low | $143,400 |
| 76 | Owsley County | 51.3" | Very Low | $79,900 |
| 77 | Rockcastle County | 51.4" | Very Low | $119,300 |
| 78 | Nelson County | 51.6" | Relatively Low | $224,100 |
| 79 | Washington County | 51.6" | Very Low | $168,300 |
| 80 | Green County | 51.7" | Very Low | $118,900 |
| 81 | Taylor County | 51.7" | Very Low | $163,700 |
| 82 | Christian County | 51.8" | Relatively Low | $149,200 |
| 83 | Floyd County | 51.9" | Relatively Moderate | $93,300 |
| 84 | Knott County | 51.9" | Relatively Low | $74,600 |
| 85 | Magoffin County | 51.9" | Very Low | $88,300 |
| 86 | Perry County | 51.9" | Relatively Low | $90,700 |
| 87 | Wolfe County | 51.9" | Very Low | $66,400 |
| 88 | Ohio County | 52.0" | Relatively Low | $113,400 |
| 89 | Whitley County | 52.0" | Relatively Low | $120,600 |
| 90 | Todd County | 52.1" | Very Low | $157,400 |
| 91 | Harlan County | 52.2" | Relatively Low | $73,100 |
| 92 | Hopkins County | 52.2" | Relatively Low | $128,800 |
| 93 | Leslie County | 52.2" | Very Low | $74,100 |
| 94 | Casey County | 52.4" | Very Low | $135,700 |
| 95 | Marion County | 52.4" | Very Low | $158,700 |
| 96 | Wayne County | 52.5" | Relatively Low | $121,700 |
| 97 | Spencer County | 52.5" | Very Low | $297,600 |
| 98 | Bullitt County | 52.5" | Relatively Low | $233,700 |
| 99 | Breckinridge County | 52.8" | Very Low | $141,400 |
| 100 | Oldham County | 52.9" | Relatively Low | $375,000 |
| 101 | Edmonson County | 53.0" | Very Low | $136,600 |
| 102 | Hart County | 53.0" | Very Low | $124,600 |
| 103 | Lyon County | 53.1" | Very Low | $183,600 |
| 104 | Fulton County | 53.2" | Relatively Low | $78,100 |
| 105 | Powell County | 53.2" | Very Low | $142,400 |
| 106 | Pulaski County | 53.3" | Relatively Low | $156,300 |
| 107 | Meade County | 53.3" | Very Low | $195,000 |
| 108 | Metcalfe County | 53.5" | Very Low | $103,100 |
| 109 | Bell County | 53.8" | Relatively Low | $83,000 |
| 110 | Knox County | 53.8" | Relatively Low | $109,200 |
| 111 | Logan County | 53.9" | Relatively Low | $151,500 |
| 112 | Allen County | 54.0" | Very Low | $176,300 |
| 113 | Hardin County | 54.4" | Relatively Low | $205,900 |
| 114 | Larue County | 54.4" | Very Low | $177,500 |
| 115 | Clinton County | 54.6" | Very Low | $114,000 |
| 116 | Barren County | 54.9" | Relatively Low | $166,900 |
| 117 | McCreary County | 56.1" | Very Low | $77,000 |
| 118 | Adair County | 57.0" | Very Low | $134,800 |
| 119 | Russell County | 57.0" | Very Low | $148,200 |
| 120 | Calloway County | 58.1" | Relatively Low | $181,200 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Driest Counties across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Kentucky