Kent County, DE Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Kent County, DE
Low
Soil across 99.7% of Kent County, DE comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.18% linear extensibility. Among the 3,144 counties on this site, that's the clean result: little shrink-swell movement, standard construction the likely outcome.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Kent County, DE - never a reading for one specific parcel. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Kent County will actually do.
Kent County: the real numbers
Kent County's soil reading points toward standard foundation practice as the likely outcome, not the exception. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000, typically around $2,700. Foundation repair, if a specific lot turns out to differ from the county average, runs $5,000-$15,000.
Where this sits nationally
Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Kent County, DE ranks 2,782 most-constrained nationally, and 2 of 3 within Delaware. The county spans 586 square miles, home to 192,690 people.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Polk County, WI and Adams County, MS are worth a look for comparison.
How this reading is built, and its real limits · Moisture management: the cheap fix that works on any soil
Elsewhere in Delaware
Every county in Delaware is on this site, including New Castle County, DE and Sussex County, DE. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.