Sedgwick County, Colorado
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Sedgwick County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 5%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 60.8% 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. 79% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1954.
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 Sedgwick County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 5.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 54.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.5% |
| Mapped soil | 344,796 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Rago | 15% | n/a |
| Richfield | 15% | 12% |
| Kuma | 8% | n/a |
| Valent | 7% | n/a |
| Haxtun | 6% | n/a |
| Eckley | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO115 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 14.24 in, 3.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 18.10 in.
USDA rates 55% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 5% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Sedgwick County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
60.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 94.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 60.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 8.7% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Sedgwick County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 18.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 14.24 in (-3.86) |
| 2025 | 19.12 in (+1.02) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 32.86 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 8.63 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SEDGWICK 5 S (8 mi away) | 2.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,214 |
| Median year built | 1954 |
| Built before 1980 | 79% |
| Built 2000 or later | 5% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $149,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deuel County, NE | 17 mi | 1% | 3% |
| Phillips County, CO | 19 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Perkins County, NE | 38 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Logan County, CO | 40 mi | 9% | 5% |
| Cheyenne County, NE | 42 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Chase County, NE | 42 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Keith County, NE | 43 mi | 1% | 11% |
| Garden County, NE | 53 mi | under 1% | 12% |
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