Clay County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 67% of Clay County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%.
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. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1962.
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 Clay County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 67.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 55.2% |
| Mapped soil | 419,610 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Crete | 48% | 100% |
| Geary | 11% | n/a |
| Muir | 8% | n/a |
| Hobbs | 7% | n/a |
| Lancaster | 5% | n/a |
| Huscher | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS027 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.6% by land area here, and 55% 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.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 30.29 in, 1.57 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 31.86 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 7 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 55.5% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the November 18, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $10,746 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 31.86 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.29 in (-1.57) |
| 2025 | 26.03 in (-5.83) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1951: 54.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1966: 17.01 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLAY CTR (3 mi away) | 8.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,944 |
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $155,900 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riley County, KS | 24 mi | 76% | 22% |
| Cloud County, KS | 27 mi | 59% | 1% |
| Ottawa County, KS | 30 mi | 67% | 3% |
| Washington County, KS | 30 mi | 67% | 6% |
| Geary County, KS | 32 mi | 71% | 6% |
| Dickinson County, KS | 33 mi | 81% | 3% |
| Republic County, KS | 42 mi | 69% | 3% |
| Pottawatomie County, KS | 44 mi | 71% | 35% |
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