Greenwood County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 78% of Greenwood County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the 8th highest of 105 Kansas counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 39%.
49% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1956.
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 Greenwood County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 77.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 39.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 74.0% |
| Mapped soil | 737,472 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Clime | 19% | n/a |
| Labette | 12% | n/a |
| Sogn | 10% | n/a |
| Eram | 8% | n/a |
| Martin | 7% | n/a |
| Kenoma | 7% | over 99% |
How we count · survey areas KS073 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.2% by land area here, and 74% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 78% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 49% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 78% of Greenwood County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 39% of Greenwood 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: 34.64 in, 4.00 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.64 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
49% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 16 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the September 8, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 49% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $12,790 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.64 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.64 in (-4.00) |
| 2025 | 38.70 in (+0.06) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1961: 55.80 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 20.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EUREKA 1E (4 mi away) | 11.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,666 |
| Median year built | 1956 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $88,700 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodson County, KS | 26 mi | 73% | 72% |
| Elk County, KS | 29 mi | 70% | 45% |
| Butler County, KS | 33 mi | 73% | 8% |
| Chase County, KS | 35 mi | 71% | 10% |
| Wilson County, KS | 35 mi | 69% | 60% |
| Coffey County, KS | 37 mi | 77% | 76% |
| Lyon County, KS | 40 mi | 80% | 53% |
| Chautauqua County, KS | 50 mi | 67% | 51% |
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