Wyoming: basement moisture and foundation risk by county
23 counties, ranked by our combined index. Highest combined risk is Niobrara County (55), lowest is Hot Springs County (22). The worst soil for foundation cracks specifically is in Niobrara County.
| County | Index | Moisture | Cracks | Water table | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niobrara County | 55 | 38 | 98 | 30 | Missouri Plateau (unglaciated Great Plains) |
| Campbell County | 52 | 40 | 85 | 30 | Missouri Plateau (unglaciated Great Plains) |
| Weston County | 52 | 40 | 96 | 16 | Missouri Plateau (unglaciated Great Plains) |
| Converse County | 50 | 37 | 84 | 30 | Missouri Plateau (unglaciated Great Plains) |
| Goshen County | 47 | 39 | 70 | 30 | Missouri Plateau (unglaciated Great Plains) |
| Albany County | 46 | 41 | 63 | 30 | Missouri Plateau (unglaciated Great Plains) |
| Platte County | 46 | 41 | 65 | 30 | Missouri Plateau (unglaciated Great Plains) |
| Uinta County | 46 | 34 | 73 | 30 | Basin and Range |
| Crook County | 44 | 40 | 70 | 16 | Missouri Plateau (unglaciated Great Plains) |
| Laramie County | 44 | 40 | 61 | 30 | Missouri Plateau (unglaciated Great Plains) |
| Sublette County | 39 | 34 | 52 | 30 | Basin and Range |
| Fremont County | 36 | 36 | 39 | 30 | Basin and Range |
| Johnson County | 33 | 29 | 29 | 46 | Rocky Mountains |
| Sweetwater County | 33 | 33 | 36 | 30 | Basin and Range |
| Big Horn County | 31 | 30 | 23 | 46 | Rocky Mountains |
| Washakie County | 31 | 32 | 30 | 30 | Rocky Mountains |
| Lincoln County | 30 | 34 | 36 | 16 | Basin and Range |
| Teton County | 30 | 28 | 20 | 46 | Rocky Mountains |
| Natrona County | 27 | 31 | 18 | 30 | Rocky Mountains |
| Park County | 26 | 29 | 19 | 30 | Rocky Mountains |
| Sheridan County | 25 | 29 | 16 | 30 | Rocky Mountains |
| Carbon County | 24 | 29 | 14 | 30 | Rocky Mountains |
| Hot Springs County | 22 | 29 | 15 | 16 | Rocky Mountains |
Values from USDA NRCS SSURGO where available, otherwise our regional model — each county page states which. Methodology.
The physiographic regions inside Wyoming
State lines are political; soil follows geology. These are the distinct ground types inside Wyoming and why each behaves the way it does.
Missouri Plateau (unglaciated Great Plains)
The water table is deep, so basements rarely flood — but Pierre Shale is one of the most expansive substrates in North America. The risk here is mechanical, not hydraulic.
9 counties: Albany County, Campbell County, Converse County, Crook County, Goshen County, Laramie County, Niobrara County, Platte County, Weston County
Rocky Mountains
Shallow bedrock and coarse material. Basements are shallow or absent, and the problem is spring meltwater rather than a water table.
9 counties: Big Horn County, Carbon County, Hot Springs County, Johnson County, Natrona County, Park County, Sheridan County, Teton County, Washakie County
Basin and Range
Semi-arid, but the lacustrine clays on the basin floors are expansive while parts of the fans are collapsible — they settle when wetted. Two opposite failure modes in one metropolitan area.
5 counties: Fremont County, Lincoln County, Sublette County, Sweetwater County, Uinta County
Page data updated