Leavenworth County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 63% of Leavenworth County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 52%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Leavenworth County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 63.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 51.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 57.8% |
| Mapped soil | 300,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Pawnee | 10% | n/a |
| Shelby | 9% | n/a |
| Grundy | 9% | n/a |
| Martin | 8% | n/a |
| Sharpsburg | 6% | 98% |
| Kennebec | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS103 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.6% by land area here, and 58% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 63% of the mapped land.
On 52% of Leavenworth 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: 36.14 in, 2.13 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.27 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the January 6, 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
13 flood losses since 2016, $355,662 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.27 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.14 in (-2.13) |
| 2025 | 31.13 in (-7.14) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 56.09 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 20.77 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TONGANOXIE 5SE (11 mi away) | 10.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 31,865 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $282,900 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyandotte County, KS | 16 mi | 61% | 28% |
| Jefferson County, KS | 18 mi | 59% | 54% |
| Platte County, MO | 20 mi | 30% | 57% |
| Johnson County, KS | 24 mi | 73% | 65% |
| Douglas County, KS | 24 mi | 56% | 51% |
| Atchison County, KS | 28 mi | 73% | 62% |
| Clay County, MO | 34 mi | 61% | 75% |
| Buchanan County, MO | 35 mi | 28% | 40% |
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