Morton County, Kansas
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of Morton County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None 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. 81% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.
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 Morton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 33.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 18.6% |
| Mapped soil | 467,923 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Richfield | 17% | 12% |
| Dalhart | 15% | n/a |
| Wagonbed | 14% | n/a |
| Atchison | 11% | n/a |
| Ulysses | 10% | n/a |
| Eva | 8% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS129 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 14.22 in, 3.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 17.36 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Morton County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Morton County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 17.36 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 14.22 in (-3.14) |
| 2025 | 18.20 in (+0.84) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 27.76 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 8.61 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RICHFIELD (6 mi away) | 3.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,310 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 81% |
| Built 2000 or later | 6% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $96,100 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanton County, KS | 26 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Stevens County, KS | 27 mi | 6% | 1% |
| Texas County, OK | 35 mi | 30% | 3% |
| Grant County, KS | 38 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Baca County, CO | 41 mi | 28% | under 1% |
| Cimarron County, OK | 49 mi | 22% | 2% |
| Seward County, KS | 53 mi | 9% | 3% |
| Hamilton County, KS | 56 mi | 2% | 4% |
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