Kiowa County, Colorado
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 10% of Kiowa County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 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. 73% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.
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 Kiowa County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 49.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.4% |
| Mapped soil | 1,142,599 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Wiley | 11% | n/a |
| Fort | 11% | n/a |
| Valent | 7% | n/a |
| Wilid | 7% | n/a |
| Norka | 7% | n/a |
| Baca | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO061 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.83 in, 3.19 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 15.02 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 10% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Kiowa 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 22 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 34.8% |
| 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 Kiowa County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 15.02 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.83 in (-3.19) |
| 2025 | 15.59 in (+0.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 23.01 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1955: 7.39 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EADS (6 mi away) | 2.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 740 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 73% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $161,500 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne County, CO | 32 mi | 8% | under 1% |
| Prowers County, CO | 36 mi | 10% | 4% |
| Bent County, CO | 36 mi | 13% | 3% |
| Greeley County, KS | 52 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Crowley County, CO | 55 mi | 46% | 1% |
| Lincoln County, CO | 58 mi | 17% | 2% |
| Hamilton County, KS | 59 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Otero County, CO | 63 mi | 19% | 2% |
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