Edwards County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25% of Edwards County's mapped land, a higher share than 76% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 15%.
62.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 86% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1948.
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 Edwards County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 25.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 35.0% |
| Mapped soil | 397,939 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Harney | 19% | 100% |
| Pratt | 14% | n/a |
| Attica | 10% | n/a |
| Saltcreek | 8% | n/a |
| Naron | 6% | n/a |
| Tivoli | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS047 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.9% by land area here, and 35% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 62.1% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 25% of Edwards County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 15% of Edwards 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: 19.88 in, 5.41 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.29 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
62.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 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 | 62.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 9.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.29 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 19.88 in (-5.41) |
| 2025 | 32.84 in (+7.55) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 38.02 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 10.44 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TROUSDALE 1 NE (13 mi away) | 7.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,549 |
| Median year built | 1948 |
| Built before 1980 | 86% |
| Built 2000 or later | 5% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $70,900 |
| Single-family detached | 93% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pawnee County, KS | 21 mi | 49% | 9% |
| Kiowa County, KS | 22 mi | 21% | 4% |
| Stafford County, KS | 34 mi | 10% | 30% |
| Ford County, KS | 34 mi | 56% | 5% |
| Pratt County, KS | 35 mi | 15% | 8% |
| Hodgeman County, KS | 35 mi | 51% | 1% |
| Rush County, KS | 44 mi | 60% | 1% |
| Comanche County, KS | 49 mi | 5% | 4% |
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