Hodgeman County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 51% of Hodgeman County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
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. 72% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1957.
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 Hodgeman County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 50.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 65.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 51.8% |
| Mapped soil | 550,656 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Harney | 43% | 100% |
| Penden | 16% | n/a |
| Roxbury | 7% | n/a |
| Spearville | 5% | n/a |
| Wakeen | 4% | n/a |
| Bridgeport | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS083 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.4% by land area here, and 52% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 51% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 21.41 in, 1.80 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 23.21 in.
USDA rates 66% 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. Part of the county was in drought in 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 96.9% |
| 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 Hodgeman County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 23.21 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.41 in (-1.80) |
| 2025 | 28.44 in (+5.23) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 31.82 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 10.30 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JETMORE 8NNW (8 mi away) | 6.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 823 |
| Median year built | 1957 |
| Built before 1980 | 72% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $101,600 |
| Single-family detached | 89% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ness County, KS | 27 mi | 51% | 1% |
| Ford County, KS | 28 mi | 56% | 5% |
| Edwards County, KS | 35 mi | 25% | 15% |
| Pawnee County, KS | 37 mi | 49% | 9% |
| Gray County, KS | 38 mi | 42% | 7% |
| Lane County, KS | 41 mi | 36% | 3% |
| Rush County, KS | 44 mi | 60% | 1% |
| Finney County, KS | 46 mi | 14% | 5% |
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