Nemaha County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 75% of Nemaha County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 70%.
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. 59% 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 Nemaha County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 75.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 70.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 60.1% |
| Mapped soil | 460,474 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Pawnee | 38% | n/a |
| Burchard | 14% | n/a |
| Wymore | 13% | 100% |
| Kennebec | 10% | n/a |
| Steinauer | 7% | n/a |
| Baileyville | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS131 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.8% by land area here, and 60% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 75% of the mapped land.
On 70% of Nemaha 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: 34.61 in, 0.55 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 34.06 in.
USDA rates 100% 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 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 17% of its area, on the March 31, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $51,291 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.06 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.61 in (+0.55) |
| 2025 | 31.19 in (-2.87) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 55.28 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1988: 18.65 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GOFF 3 WSW (10 mi away) | 9.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,512 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $217,200 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County, KS | 23 mi | 77% | 60% |
| Pawnee County, NE | 27 mi | 70% | 65% |
| Marshall County, KS | 27 mi | 72% | 73% |
| Richardson County, NE | 28 mi | 58% | 42% |
| Jackson County, KS | 29 mi | 76% | 73% |
| Pottawatomie County, KS | 33 mi | 71% | 35% |
| Atchison County, KS | 41 mi | 73% | 62% |
| Nemaha County, NE | 42 mi | 58% | 48% |
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