McPherson County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 72% of McPherson County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 18%.
66.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 McPherson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 72.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 18.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 69.5% |
| Mapped soil | 576,339 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Crete | 31% | 100% |
| Ladysmith | 13% | n/a |
| Lancaster | 9% | n/a |
| Longford | 5% | n/a |
| Smolan | 4% | n/a |
| Tobin | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS113 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.8% by land area here, and 70% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 72% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 66.7% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 72% of McPherson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 18% of McPherson 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: 27.41 in, 4.79 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.20 in.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
66.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 88.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 66.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 14.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $231,796 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.20 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.41 in (-4.79) |
| 2025 | 37.15 in (+4.95) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1951: 48.14 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 16.14 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MCPHERSON (2 mi away) | 9.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,176 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $211,200 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey County, KS | 26 mi | 69% | 32% |
| Saline County, KS | 27 mi | 52% | 5% |
| Marion County, KS | 30 mi | 80% | 9% |
| Rice County, KS | 30 mi | 47% | 17% |
| Ellsworth County, KS | 37 mi | 50% | 1% |
| Reno County, KS | 39 mi | 14% | 20% |
| Dickinson County, KS | 42 mi | 81% | 3% |
| Sedgwick County, KS | 50 mi | 42% | 11% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 26, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status