Osborne County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 45% of Osborne County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% 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 no flood losses here since 2016. 87% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1952.
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 Osborne County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 45.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 47.2% |
| Mapped soil | 572,275 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Harney | 35% | 100% |
| Roxbury | 10% | n/a |
| Armo | 8% | n/a |
| Nuckolls | 5% | n/a |
| Heizer | 5% | n/a |
| Brownell | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS141 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 47% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 45% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 25.70 in, 0.57 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 26.27 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 9 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 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
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Osborne County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 26.27 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 25.70 in (-0.57) |
| 2025 | 25.67 in (-0.60) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 45.79 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1966: 13.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COVERT (9 mi away) | 7.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,031 |
| Median year built | 1952 |
| Built before 1980 | 87% |
| Built 2000 or later | 4% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $86,400 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooks County, KS | 30 mi | 26% | 1% |
| Russell County, KS | 30 mi | 40% | 1% |
| Mitchell County, KS | 30 mi | 58% | 1% |
| Smith County, KS | 30 mi | 24% | 1% |
| Lincoln County, KS | 36 mi | 47% | 1% |
| Jewell County, KS | 42 mi | 50% | 2% |
| Ellis County, KS | 42 mi | 36% | 1% |
| Phillips County, KS | 43 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