Sinkhole risk in Mercer County, KY: Pockets of it

Pockets of it

Soluble rock at the surface or under thin cover in part of the county.

On soluble rock: 47%
At or near the surface: 47%
Buried under cover: 0%

What this means before you buy

Check the parcel against your state survey sinkhole map, and ask for an inspection if cracks, depressions or sticking doors show up.

That works out to roughly 118 of Mercer County's 249 square miles on soluble rock, 118 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 23,515 residents (94 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 265 map points about 1.0 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: the signs to look for and how an inspection works, and how these percentages are measured.

Counties around Mercer County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Boyle County, KY, about 13 miles south, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 2 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Boyle County, KY 13 mi south · 54% at surface
Anderson County, KY 15 mi northwest · 25% at surface
Washington County, KY 17 mi west · 42% at surface
Jessamine County, KY 17 mi east · 93% at surface
Woodford County, KY 17 mi northeast · 99% at surface
Garrard County, KY 22 mi southeast · 51% at surface

What Mercer County is built on

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Lexington Limestone (limestone), Ordovician in age, covering about 43% of the county. Next is the High Bridge Group at 4%.

Against the rest of Kentucky

Mercer County ranks 44 of 120 in Kentucky for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 86% of US counties on that measure.