Meade County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 35% of Meade County's mapped land, a higher share than 84% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 6%.
100% 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. 83% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1959.
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 Meade County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 5.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 58.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 35.4% |
| Mapped soil | 626,502 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Harney | 28% | 100% |
| Mansic | 17% | n/a |
| Uly | 6% | n/a |
| Otero | 6% | n/a |
| Spearville | 5% | n/a |
| Campus | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS119 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 35% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 35% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 35% of Meade County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 15.77 in, 5.77 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 21.54 in.
USDA rates 59% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 30 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 4.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Meade County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 21.54 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 15.77 in (-5.77) |
| 2025 | 22.30 in (+0.76) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 35.32 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 7.97 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MEADE (3 mi away) | 5.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,898 |
| Median year built | 1959 |
| Built before 1980 | 83% |
| Built 2000 or later | 4% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $148,900 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seward County, KS | 27 mi | 9% | 3% |
| Clark County, KS | 30 mi | 18% | 4% |
| Gray County, KS | 35 mi | 42% | 7% |
| Beaver County, OK | 35 mi | 6% | 7% |
| Haskell County, KS | 36 mi | 9% | 3% |
| Ford County, KS | 40 mi | 56% | 5% |
| Harper County, OK | 49 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Stevens County, KS | 53 mi | 6% | 1% |
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