Geary County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 71% of Geary County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 6%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
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 Geary County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 71.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 5.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 63.6% |
| Mapped soil | 258,611 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Clime | 16% | n/a |
| Irwin | 12% | n/a |
| Crete | 8% | 100% |
| Benfield | 7% | n/a |
| Tully | 7% | n/a |
| Sogn | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS061 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.7% by land area here, and 64% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 71% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 37.27 in, 3.24 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 34.03 in.
USDA rates 91% 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. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| 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
6 flood losses since 2016, $23,191 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.03 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.27 in (+3.24) |
| 2025 | 32.57 in (-1.46) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1951: 57.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1966: 17.07 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MILFORD LAKE (9 mi away) | 9.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 15,939 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 40% |
| Owner-occupied | 44% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $172,700 |
| Single-family detached | 50% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riley County, KS | 20 mi | 76% | 22% |
| Morris County, KS | 23 mi | 82% | 10% |
| Dickinson County, KS | 23 mi | 81% | 3% |
| Wabaunsee County, KS | 31 mi | 73% | 27% |
| Clay County, KS | 32 mi | 67% | 2% |
| Pottawatomie County, KS | 35 mi | 71% | 35% |
| Marion County, KS | 48 mi | 80% | 9% |
| Ottawa County, KS | 48 mi | 67% | 3% |
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