Harvey County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 69% of Harvey County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 32%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Harvey County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 68.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 31.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 70.2% |
| Mapped soil | 346,093 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Ladysmith | 21% | n/a |
| Irwin | 8% | n/a |
| Crete | 6% | 100% |
| Farnum | 6% | n/a |
| Rosehill | 6% | n/a |
| Clime | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS079 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.1% by land area here, and 70% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 69% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 69% of Harvey County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 32% of Harvey 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: 27.80 in, 5.87 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.67 in.
USDA rates 98% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 30 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 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 | 35.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
10 flood losses since 2016, $127,942 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.67 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.80 in (-5.87) |
| 2025 | 38.79 in (+5.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1951: 49.03 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1966: 15.18 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEWTON (5 mi away) | 9.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,656 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $180,300 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedgwick County, KS | 26 mi | 42% | 11% |
| McPherson County, KS | 26 mi | 72% | 18% |
| Marion County, KS | 28 mi | 80% | 9% |
| Reno County, KS | 36 mi | 14% | 20% |
| Butler County, KS | 38 mi | 73% | 8% |
| Rice County, KS | 46 mi | 47% | 17% |
| Chase County, KS | 49 mi | 71% | 10% |
| Kingman County, KS | 52 mi | 8% | 11% |
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