Douglas County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 56% of Douglas County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 51%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 39 flood losses here since 2016, 52% of them in buildings with basements. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Douglas County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 56.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 51.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 53.1% |
| Mapped soil | 303,808 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Martin | 20% | n/a |
| Woodson | 10% | n/a |
| Vinland | 9% | n/a |
| Sibleyville | 9% | n/a |
| Oska | 6% | n/a |
| Kennebec | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS045 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.5% by land area here, and 53% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 56% of the mapped land.
On 51% of Douglas 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: 36.41 in, 1.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.38 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 96.2% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the January 6, 2026 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
39 flood losses since 2016, $1.1 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 17. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 52% basements, 28% slabs, 20% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 17 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.38 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.41 in (-1.97) |
| 2025 | 30.55 in (-7.83) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 58.36 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 20.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLINTON LAKE (4 mi away) | 10.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 53,675 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 50% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $309,400 |
| Single-family detached | 54% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County, KS | 23 mi | 75% | 70% |
| Jefferson County, KS | 24 mi | 59% | 54% |
| Leavenworth County, KS | 24 mi | 63% | 52% |
| Johnson County, KS | 25 mi | 73% | 65% |
| Shawnee County, KS | 27 mi | 65% | 59% |
| Osage County, KS | 28 mi | 77% | 69% |
| Wyandotte County, KS | 32 mi | 61% | 28% |
| Miami County, KS | 34 mi | 83% | 67% |
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