Bourbon County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 69% of Bourbon County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 58%.
35.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 73% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1957.
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 Bourbon County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 69.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 57.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 66.0% |
| Mapped soil | 409,101 acres |
How we count · survey areas KS011 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.2% by land area here, and 66% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 69% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 35.6% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 69% of Bourbon County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 58% of Bourbon County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 38.20 in, 4.99 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 43.19 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
35.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the September 8, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 35.6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 43.19 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.20 in (-4.99) |
| 2025 | 42.00 in (-1.19) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 60.50 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 22.29 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FT SCOTT (9 mi away) | 13.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,756 |
| Median year built | 1957 |
| Built before 1980 | 73% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $113,800 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County, KS | 24 mi | 67% | 79% |
| Allen County, KS | 25 mi | 75% | 61% |
| Linn County, KS | 25 mi | 78% | 61% |
| Vernon County, MO | 28 mi | 54% | 63% |
| Neosho County, KS | 32 mi | 72% | 64% |
| Anderson County, KS | 35 mi | 80% | 72% |
| Barton County, MO | 37 mi | 54% | 69% |
| Bates County, MO | 39 mi | 70% | 75% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 26, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status