Lane County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 36% of Lane County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 3%.
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. 71% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.
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 Lane County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 36.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 61.0% |
| Mapped soil | 459,142 acres |
How we count · survey areas KS101 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 61% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 36% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 19.81 in, 1.16 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 20.97 in.
USDA rates 69% 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 14 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 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 Lane County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 20.97 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 19.81 in (-1.16) |
| 2025 | 22.53 in (+1.56) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 33.17 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2022: 7.96 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HEALY (12 mi away) | 5.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 878 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 89% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $127,100 |
| Single-family detached | 91% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County, KS | 24 mi | 7% | 3% |
| Gove County, KS | 30 mi | 11% | 1% |
| Ness County, KS | 30 mi | 51% | 1% |
| Finney County, KS | 33 mi | 14% | 5% |
| Hodgeman County, KS | 41 mi | 51% | 1% |
| Trego County, KS | 44 mi | 26% | 1% |
| Logan County, KS | 47 mi | 5% | 2% |
| Wichita County, KS | 48 mi | 4% | 2% |
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