HomeKansasChase County

Chase County, Kansas

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 71% of Chase County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 10%.

None 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. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

71%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

10%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

74%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Chase County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)70.6%
High water table (limits basements)10.0%
Septic fields very limited98.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)6.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)64.1%
Mapped soil497,639 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Labette16%n/a
Clime14%n/a
Sogn10%n/a
Florence9%n/a
Tully8%n/a
Irwin8%n/a
Lyon County: 80%Morris County: 82%Marion County: 80%Greenwood County: 78%Butler County: 73%Coffey County: 77%Harvey County: 69%Geary County: 71%Chase County LyonMorrisMarionGreenwoodButlerCoffeyHarveyGearyChase
Chase County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas KS017 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.9% by land area here, and 64% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 71% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 32.10 in, 4.15 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 36.25 in.

USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

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 4 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 12.4% of its area, on the September 8, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse5.5%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

3 flood losses since 2016, $12,513 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20192
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202036.25 in
12 months to August 202632.10 in (-4.15)
202534.34 in (-1.91)
Wettest year since 18951951: 54.12 in
Driest year since 18951936: 17.59 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COTTONWOOD FALLS (5 mi away)11.9

Homes

Housing units1,388
Median year built1958
Built before 198074%
Built 2000 or later10%
Owner-occupied73%
Median value, owner-occupied$109,700
Single-family detached87%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Lyon County, KS 26 mi 80% 53%
Morris County, KS 27 mi 82% 10%
Marion County, KS 28 mi 80% 9%
Greenwood County, KS 35 mi 78% 39%
Butler County, KS 39 mi 73% 8%
Coffey County, KS 47 mi 77% 76%
Harvey County, KS 49 mi 69% 32%
Geary County, KS 49 mi 71% 6%

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