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Mitchell County, Kansas

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 58% of Mitchell County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% 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 3 flood losses here since 2016. 77% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

58%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

1%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

77%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Mitchell County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)57.6%
High water table (limits basements)0.9%
Septic fields very limited76.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)5.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)60.5%
Mapped soil460,269 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Harney46%100%
Roxbury11%n/a
Mento6%n/a
Nibson5%n/a
Wakeen4%n/a
Armo3%n/a
Lincoln County: 47%Jewell County: 50%Osborne County: 45%Cloud County: 59%Ottawa County: 67%Smith County: 24%Republic County: 69%Russell County: 40%Mitchell County LincolnJewellOsborneCloudOttawaSmithRepublicRussellMitchell
Mitchell County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas KS123 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.9% 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 58% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 28.33 in, 0.68 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 27.65 in.

USDA rates 76% 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 6 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 96.2% of its area, on the May 26, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

3 flood losses since 2016, $45,117 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20182
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202027.65 in
12 months to August 202628.33 in (+0.68)
202527.83 in (+0.18)
Wettest year since 18951993: 47.77 in
Driest year since 18951956: 12.48 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BELOIT (7 mi away)7.5

Homes

Housing units3,116
Median year built1958
Built before 198077%
Built 2000 or later10%
Owner-occupied69%
Median value, owner-occupied$133,800
Single-family detached83%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Lincoln County, KS 24 mi 47% 1%
Jewell County, KS 27 mi 50% 2%
Osborne County, KS 30 mi 45% 1%
Cloud County, KS 31 mi 59% 1%
Ottawa County, KS 34 mi 67% 3%
Smith County, KS 41 mi 24% 1%
Republic County, KS 42 mi 69% 3%
Russell County, KS 45 mi 40% 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