Chautauqua County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 67% of Chautauqua County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 51%.
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. 71% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1961.
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 Chautauqua County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 67.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 51.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 66.8% |
| Mapped soil | 412,454 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Steedman | 15% | n/a |
| Martin | 11% | n/a |
| Clime | 10% | n/a |
| Sogn | 10% | n/a |
| Dennis | 9% | 92% |
| Darnell | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS019 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.6% by land area here, and 67% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 67% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 67% of Chautauqua County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 51% of Chautauqua 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: 29.80 in, 10.28 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.08 in.
USDA rates 97% 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 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 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 | 62.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Chautauqua County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.08 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.80 in (-10.28) |
| 2025 | 44.32 in (+4.24) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1986: 57.55 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 20.31 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SEDAN (4 mi away) | 11.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,975 |
| Median year built | 1961 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $65,500 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk County, KS | 21 mi | 70% | 45% |
| Montgomery County, KS | 28 mi | 62% | 58% |
| Cowley County, KS | 33 mi | 59% | 12% |
| Washington County, OK | 36 mi | 52% | 55% |
| Osage County, OK | 38 mi | 41% | 40% |
| Wilson County, KS | 39 mi | 69% | 60% |
| Nowata County, OK | 43 mi | 48% | 49% |
| Greenwood County, KS | 50 mi | 78% | 39% |
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