Lincoln County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 47% of Lincoln County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% 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 1 flood losses here since 2016. 86% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1939 or earlier.
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 Lincoln County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 46.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 32.0% |
| Mapped soil | 461,293 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Harney | 24% | 100% |
| Geary | 11% | n/a |
| Armo | 11% | n/a |
| Nibson | 8% | n/a |
| Roxbury | 8% | n/a |
| Lancaster | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS105 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 32% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 47% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 35.56 in, 7.32 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 28.24 in.
USDA rates 78% 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 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the May 12, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 1.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $3,295 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.24 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.56 in (+7.32) |
| 2025 | 29.45 in (+1.21) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1951: 48.47 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 12.97 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LINCOLN 1 SE (5 mi away) | 7.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,668 |
| Median year built | 1939 or earlier |
| Built before 1980 | 86% |
| Built 2000 or later | 5% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $96,900 |
| Single-family detached | 90% |
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 | 24 mi | 58% | 1% |
| Ellsworth County, KS | 24 mi | 50% | 1% |
| Ottawa County, KS | 31 mi | 67% | 3% |
| Russell County, KS | 31 mi | 40% | 1% |
| Saline County, KS | 35 mi | 52% | 5% |
| Osborne County, KS | 36 mi | 45% | 1% |
| Cloud County, KS | 43 mi | 59% | 1% |
| Rice County, KS | 48 mi | 47% | 17% |
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