Crawford County, Kansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 79% of Crawford County's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 105 Kansas counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 67%.
84% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Crawford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 66.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 78.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 56.4% |
| Mapped soil | 380,870 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Parsons | 33% | n/a |
| Dennis | 12% | 100% |
| Zaar | 11% | n/a |
| Hepler | 9% | n/a |
| Kanima | 5% | n/a |
| Wagstaff | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS037 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.5% by land area here, and 56% 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: 84% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 67% of Crawford County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 79% of Crawford 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: 40.09 in, 4.79 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.88 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
84% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 23 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 84% |
| D2 severe or worse | 7% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $87,608 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.88 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.09 in (-4.79) |
| 2025 | 43.76 in (-1.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 66.51 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 20.62 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WALNUT 4S (11 mi away) | 13.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,126 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $132,600 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, KS | 23 mi | 52% | 80% |
| Bourbon County, KS | 24 mi | 69% | 58% |
| Neosho County, KS | 26 mi | 72% | 64% |
| Barton County, MO | 28 mi | 54% | 69% |
| Labette County, KS | 33 mi | 75% | 72% |
| Jasper County, MO | 35 mi | 35% | 48% |
| Allen County, KS | 36 mi | 75% | 61% |
| Vernon County, MO | 37 mi | 54% | 63% |
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