Prowers County, Colorado
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 10% of Prowers County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 4%, 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. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Prowers County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 64.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,052,212 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Wiley | 20% | n/a |
| Colby | 10% | n/a |
| Baca | 8% | n/a |
| Rocky Ford | 7% | n/a |
| Wilid | 6% | n/a |
| Valent | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO099 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 14.47 in, 1.75 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 16.22 in.
USDA rates 64% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 10% and a shallow water table on 4% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Prowers 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 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 9.6% |
| 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 Prowers County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 16.22 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 14.47 in (-1.75) |
| 2025 | 16.53 in (+0.31) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 26.23 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1937: 8.34 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HOLLY (16 mi away) | 3.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,479 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $160,600 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County, KS | 33 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Kiowa County, CO | 36 mi | 10% | 1% |
| Bent County, CO | 37 mi | 13% | 3% |
| Stanton County, KS | 43 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Baca County, CO | 46 mi | 28% | under 1% |
| Greeley County, KS | 48 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Kearny County, KS | 59 mi | 3% | 7% |
| Cheyenne County, CO | 62 mi | 8% | under 1% |
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