Barber County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21% of Barber County's mapped land, a higher share than 71% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%.
100% 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. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1956.
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 Barber County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 21.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 22.1% |
| Mapped soil | 727,431 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Vernon | 14% | n/a |
| Shellabarger | 9% | n/a |
| Albion | 9% | n/a |
| Quinlan | 8% | n/a |
| Grant | 7% | n/a |
| Woodward | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS007 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.8% by land area here, and 22% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 21% of Barber County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 21.95 in, 6.76 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 28.71 in.
USDA rates 76% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 99.7% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Barber County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.71 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.95 in (-6.76) |
| 2025 | 31.37 in (+2.66) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 40.27 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 12.44 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WILMORE 16SE (21 mi away) | 6.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,480 |
| Median year built | 1956 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $97,000 |
| Single-family detached | 89% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pratt County, KS | 30 mi | 15% | 8% |
| Comanche County, KS | 31 mi | 5% | 4% |
| Harper County, KS | 34 mi | 10% | 12% |
| Woods County, OK | 36 mi | 13% | 8% |
| Kingman County, KS | 37 mi | 8% | 11% |
| Alfalfa County, OK | 40 mi | 8% | 10% |
| Kiowa County, KS | 40 mi | 21% | 4% |
| Stafford County, KS | 56 mi | 10% | 30% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status