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Doniphan County, Kansas

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27% of Doniphan County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 15%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 17 flood losses here since 2016. 65% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

27%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

15%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

65%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Doniphan County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)26.5%
High water table (limits basements)15.3%
Septic fields very limited67.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)14.2%
Mapped soil254,228 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Contrary20%n/a
Monona17%n/a
Palermo7%n/a
Aksarben6%n/a
Morrill6%n/a
Hamburg5%n/a
Atchison County: 73%Buchanan County: 28%Holt County: 30%Brown County: 77%Andrew County: 48%Platte County: 30%Richardson County: 58%Jefferson County: 59%Doniphan County AtchisonBuchananHoltBrownAndrewPlatteRichardsonJeffersonDoniphan
Doniphan 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 KS043 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 14% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.

On 15% of Doniphan 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: 32.51 in, 3.81 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 36.32 in.

USDA rates 67% 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 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 13.9% of its area, on the March 31, 2026 map.

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

Flood losses since 2016

17 flood losses since 2016, $159,031 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 9.

YearFlood losses
20161
20170
20180
20199
20207
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202036.32 in
12 months to August 202632.51 in (-3.81)
202532.01 in (-4.31)
Wettest year since 18951973: 62.26 in
Driest year since 18951988: 16.22 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TROY 3N (4 mi away)9.7

Homes

Housing units3,373
Median year built1970
Built before 198065%
Built 2000 or later15%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$135,200
Single-family detached80%

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
Atchison County, KS 20 mi 73% 62%
Buchanan County, MO 20 mi 28% 40%
Holt County, MO 22 mi 30% 41%
Brown County, KS 23 mi 77% 60%
Andrew County, MO 23 mi 48% 58%
Platte County, MO 35 mi 30% 57%
Richardson County, NE 38 mi 58% 42%
Jefferson County, KS 40 mi 59% 54%

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