Kiowa County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21% of Kiowa County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
99.8% 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. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Kiowa County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 21.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 26.0% |
| Mapped soil | 462,573 acres |
How we count · survey areas KS097 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.6% by land area here, and 26% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 99.8% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 21% of Kiowa County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 18.11 in, 7.58 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.69 in.
USDA rates 77% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
99.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 23 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 99.8% |
| 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 Kiowa County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.11 in (-7.58) |
| 2025 | 31.42 in (+5.73) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 38.99 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 11.18 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GREENSBURG (3 mi away) | 7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,153 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 33% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $155,300 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edwards County, KS | 22 mi | 25% | 15% |
| Comanche County, KS | 26 mi | 5% | 4% |
| Pratt County, KS | 31 mi | 15% | 8% |
| Ford County, KS | 34 mi | 56% | 5% |
| Clark County, KS | 37 mi | 18% | 4% |
| Barber County, KS | 40 mi | 21% | 2% |
| Pawnee County, KS | 43 mi | 49% | 9% |
| Stafford County, KS | 45 mi | 10% | 30% |
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