Ellsworth County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 50% of Ellsworth County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
21.5% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.
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 Ellsworth County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 49.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 40.0% |
| Mapped soil | 462,707 acres |
How we count · survey areas KS053 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.4% by land area here, and 40% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 50% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 21.5% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 50% of Ellsworth County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 31.30 in, 1.92 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 29.38 in.
USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
21.5% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 weeks, most recently on the May 12, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 84.5% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 21.5% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Ellsworth County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 29.38 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.30 in (+1.92) |
| 2025 | 33.04 in (+3.66) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 47.59 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1988: 14.98 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ELLSWORTH (2 mi away) | 7.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,127 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $114,900 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, KS | 24 mi | 47% | 1% |
| Rice County, KS | 24 mi | 47% | 17% |
| Saline County, KS | 31 mi | 52% | 5% |
| Russell County, KS | 34 mi | 40% | 1% |
| Barton County, KS | 34 mi | 54% | 10% |
| McPherson County, KS | 37 mi | 72% | 18% |
| Ottawa County, KS | 42 mi | 67% | 3% |
| Mitchell County, KS | 48 mi | 58% | 1% |
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