Harper County, Kansas
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 10% of Harper County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 12%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% 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. 79% 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 Harper County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 12.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.4% |
| Mapped soil | 513,466 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Grant | 11% | n/a |
| Shellabarger | 9% | n/a |
| Nalim | 9% | n/a |
| Pond Creek | 7% | n/a |
| Woodward | 5% | n/a |
| Nashville | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS077 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 27.54 in, 4.40 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 31.94 in.
USDA rates 73% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 10% and a shallow water table on 12% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Harper County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 51% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Harper County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 31.94 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.54 in (-4.40) |
| 2025 | 35.61 in (+3.67) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1951: 44.73 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 13.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ANTHONY (3 mi away) | 10.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,020 |
| Median year built | 1956 |
| Built before 1980 | 79% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $83,800 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingman County, KS | 26 mi | 8% | 11% |
| Grant County, OK | 32 mi | 48% | 10% |
| Sumner County, KS | 32 mi | 47% | 8% |
| Barber County, KS | 34 mi | 21% | 2% |
| Alfalfa County, OK | 35 mi | 8% | 10% |
| Sedgwick County, KS | 48 mi | 42% | 11% |
| Pratt County, KS | 49 mi | 15% | 8% |
| Reno County, KS | 53 mi | 14% | 20% |
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