HomeKansasCowley County

Cowley County, Kansas

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 59% of Cowley County's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 12%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1961.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

59%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

12%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

70%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Cowley County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)59.1%
High water table (limits basements)11.6%
Septic fields very limited93.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)6.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)58.4%
Mapped soil724,845 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Labette13%n/a
Sogn12%n/a
Martin10%n/a
Clime8%n/a
Irwin6%n/a
Florence6%n/a
Chautauqua County: 67%Kay County: 59%Elk County: 70%Sumner County: 47%Butler County: 73%Sedgwick County: 42%Osage County: 41%Greenwood County: 78%Cowley County ChautauquaKayElkSumnerButlerSedgwickOsageGreenwoodCowley
Cowley 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 KS035 (2025-08-26)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.6% by land area here, and 58% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 59% of the mapped land.

Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 59% of Cowley County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 32.98 in, 5.32 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.30 in.

USDA rates 93% 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 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse76.1%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

10 flood losses since 2016, $571,737 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 9.

YearFlood losses
20160
20171
20180
20199
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202038.30 in
12 months to August 202632.98 in (-5.32)
202546.82 in (+8.52)
Wettest year since 18952019: 57.53 in
Driest year since 18951910: 18.33 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WINFIELD 3NE (7 mi away)12.5

Homes

Housing units15,682
Median year built1961
Built before 198070%
Built 2000 or later10%
Owner-occupied68%
Median value, owner-occupied$120,900
Single-family detached75%

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
Chautauqua County, KS 33 mi 67% 51%
Kay County, OK 34 mi 59% 19%
Elk County, KS 36 mi 70% 45%
Sumner County, KS 36 mi 47% 8%
Butler County, KS 37 mi 73% 8%
Sedgwick County, KS 46 mi 42% 11%
Osage County, OK 48 mi 41% 40%
Greenwood County, KS 55 mi 78% 39%

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