Cheyenne County, Colorado
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 8% of Cheyenne County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on under 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Cheyenne County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 30.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.3% |
| Mapped soil | 1,141,095 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Wiley | 11% | n/a |
| Valent | 8% | n/a |
| Keith | 8% | n/a |
| Stoneham | 7% | n/a |
| Satanta | 6% | n/a |
| Colby | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO017 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.18 in, 3.69 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 15.87 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 8% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Cheyenne County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 weeks, most recently on the June 16, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 5.2% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Cheyenne County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 15.87 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.18 in (-3.69) |
| 2025 | 17.60 in (+1.73) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 24.83 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1955: 7.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KIT CARSON (12 mi away) | 3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 986 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $187,500 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiowa County, CO | 32 mi | 10% | 1% |
| Kit Carson County, CO | 32 mi | 9% | 3% |
| Wallace County, KS | 45 mi | 4% | 3% |
| Greeley County, KS | 49 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Lincoln County, CO | 50 mi | 17% | 2% |
| Sherman County, KS | 59 mi | 3% | 3% |
| Prowers County, CO | 62 mi | 10% | 4% |
| Bent County, CO | 68 mi | 13% | 3% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status