Sinkhole risk in Fayette County, IN: Mostly deep or small

Mostly deep or small

Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.

On soluble rock: 61%
At or near the surface: 0%
Buried under cover: 61%

The next step for one property

Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.

That works out to roughly 132 of Fayette County's 215 square miles on soluble rock. With about 23,335 residents (109 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 325 map points about 0.8 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Two things to read before deciding: why the 61% under cover still counts, and how these percentages are measured.

Counties around Fayette County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Kenton County, KY, about 60 miles southeast. 4 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band, so this is a regional pattern rather than a local quirk.

Union County, IN 14 mi east · 0% at surface
Rush County, IN 15 mi west · 0% at surface
Franklin County, IN 17 mi south · 2% at surface
Wayne County, IN 18 mi northeast · under 1% at surface
Henry County, IN 23 mi northwest · 0% at surface
Decatur County, IN 29 mi southwest · 2% at surface

What Fayette County is built on

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Whitewater Formation (limestone), Ordovician in age, covering about 32% of the county. Next is the Louisville Limestone through Brassfield Limestone at 29%.

Against the rest of Indiana

Fayette County ranks 47 of 92 in Indiana for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 0% of US counties on that measure.