Norton County, Kansas
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of Norton 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. 79% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1957.
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 Norton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 58.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.3% |
| Mapped soil | 563,961 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Holdrege | 35% | 0% |
| Uly | 34% | n/a |
| Coly | 8% | n/a |
| Penden | 6% | n/a |
| Hord | 4% | n/a |
| Hobbs | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS137 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 18.21 in, 5.08 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 23.29 in.
USDA rates 58% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 Norton 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 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 44.4% |
| 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 Norton County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 23.29 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.21 in (-5.08) |
| 2025 | 21.29 in (-2.00) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1965: 34.40 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2002: 11.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NORTON DAM (3 mi away) | 6.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,450 |
| Median year built | 1957 |
| Built before 1980 | 79% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $101,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furnas County, NE | 28 mi | 2% | 3% |
| Phillips County, KS | 30 mi | 6% | 1% |
| Graham County, KS | 30 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Decatur County, KS | 30 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Harlan County, NE | 38 mi | 2% | 1% |
| Red Willow County, NE | 40 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Sheridan County, KS | 42 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Rooks County, KS | 43 mi | 26% | 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