Jewell County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 50% of Jewell County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%.
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 1945.
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 Jewell County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 50.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 44.2% |
| Mapped soil | 585,222 acres |
How we count · survey areas KS089 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 44% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 50% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 22.73 in, 4.96 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.69 in.
USDA rates 71% 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 17 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 82.5% of its area, on the May 26, 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 Jewell County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.73 in (-4.96) |
| 2025 | 25.36 in (-2.33) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 45.18 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 12.70 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JEWELL (8 mi away) | 6.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,761 |
| Median year built | 1945 |
| Built before 1980 | 77% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $64,600 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell County, KS | 27 mi | 58% | 1% |
| Nuckolls County, NE | 29 mi | 67% | 7% |
| Smith County, KS | 30 mi | 24% | 1% |
| Republic County, KS | 31 mi | 69% | 3% |
| Webster County, NE | 32 mi | 19% | 3% |
| Cloud County, KS | 37 mi | 59% | 1% |
| Osborne County, KS | 42 mi | 45% | 1% |
| Thayer County, NE | 43 mi | 68% | 6% |
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