Gove County, Kansas
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 11% of Gove County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None 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. 77% 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 Gove County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 30.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.1% |
| Mapped soil | 685,958 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Ulysses | 27% | n/a |
| Keith | 14% | n/a |
| Harney | 10% | 100% |
| Elkader | 6% | n/a |
| Kuma | 6% | n/a |
| Manvel | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS063 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 20.77 in, 0.15 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 20.92 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 11% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Gove County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 weeks, most recently on the June 16, 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
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Gove County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 20.92 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.77 in (-0.15) |
| 2025 | 22.17 in (+1.25) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 31.85 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2022: 9.40 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GOVE 4W (4 mi away) | 5.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,331 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 77% |
| Built 2000 or later | 5% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $118,400 |
| Single-family detached | 90% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheridan County, KS | 30 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Lane County, KS | 30 mi | 36% | 3% |
| Trego County, KS | 33 mi | 26% | 1% |
| Logan County, KS | 36 mi | 5% | 2% |
| Scott County, KS | 38 mi | 7% | 3% |
| Ness County, KS | 43 mi | 51% | 1% |
| Graham County, KS | 44 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Thomas County, KS | 44 mi | 3% | 3% |
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