Comanche County, Kansas
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 5% of Comanche County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 4%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 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. 84% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1947.
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 Comanche County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 61.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.6% |
| Mapped soil | 505,082 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Albion | 9% | n/a |
| Clark | 9% | n/a |
| Shellabarger | 9% | n/a |
| Quinlan | 9% | n/a |
| Woodward | 7% | n/a |
| Case | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS033 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 20.07 in, 5.03 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.10 in.
USDA rates 61% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 5% and a shallow water table on 4% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Comanche County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Comanche County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.07 in (-5.03) |
| 2025 | 30.91 in (+5.81) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 37.61 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 10.94 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COLDWATER (8 mi away) | 6.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,016 |
| Median year built | 1947 |
| Built before 1980 | 84% |
| Built 2000 or later | 5% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $69,600 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiowa County, KS | 26 mi | 21% | 4% |
| Clark County, KS | 31 mi | 18% | 4% |
| Barber County, KS | 31 mi | 21% | 2% |
| Harper County, OK | 35 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Woods County, OK | 38 mi | 13% | 8% |
| Pratt County, KS | 43 mi | 15% | 8% |
| Edwards County, KS | 49 mi | 25% | 15% |
| Ford County, KS | 49 mi | 56% | 5% |
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