Yuma County, Colorado
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 5% of Yuma County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 13.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 71% 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 Yuma County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 66.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 8.5% |
| Mapped soil | 1,469,727 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Valent | 29% | n/a |
| Haxtun | 11% | n/a |
| Colby | 9% | n/a |
| Julesburg | 6% | n/a |
| Kuma | 6% | n/a |
| Manter | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO125 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 18.85 in, 1.24 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 17.61 in.
USDA rates 66% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 5% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Yuma County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
13.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 78.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 13.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $136,507 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 17.61 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.85 in (+1.24) |
| 2025 | 19.31 in (+1.70) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 28.65 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1931: 10.49 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WRAY (13 mi away) | 3.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,336 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $211,700 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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, KS | 40 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Dundy County, NE | 41 mi | under 1% | 3% |
| Phillips County, CO | 41 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Washington County, CO | 42 mi | 11% | 1% |
| Kit Carson County, CO | 49 mi | 9% | 3% |
| Chase County, NE | 53 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Sherman County, KS | 58 mi | 3% | 3% |
| Sedgwick County, CO | 60 mi | under 1% | 5% |
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