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Ottawa County, Kansas

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 67% of Ottawa County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 3%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

67%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

3%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

63%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Ottawa County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)66.7%
High water table (limits basements)2.8%
Septic fields very limited79.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)6.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)41.3%
Mapped soil461,530 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Crete22%100%
Geary22%n/a
Edalgo9%n/a
Hord7%n/a
Hedville6%n/a
Hobbs5%n/a
Saline County: 52%Cloud County: 59%Clay County: 67%Lincoln County: 47%Dickinson County: 81%Mitchell County: 58%Ellsworth County: 50%Republic County: 69%Ottawa County SalineCloudClayLincolnDickinsonMitchellEllsworthRepublicOttawa
Ottawa 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 KS143 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.4% by land area here, and 41% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 67% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 33.84 in, 3.41 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 30.43 in.

USDA rates 80% 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 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the April 21, 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

5 flood losses since 2016, $63,004 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20191
20200
20211
20220
20230
20240
20253
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202030.43 in
12 months to August 202633.84 in (+3.41)
202528.79 in (-1.64)
Wettest year since 18951951: 52.36 in
Driest year since 18951956: 14.85 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MINNEAPOLIS (3 mi away)8.3

Homes

Housing units2,693
Median year built1969
Built before 198063%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied77%
Median value, owner-occupied$166,000
Single-family detached87%

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
Saline County, KS 24 mi 52% 5%
Cloud County, KS 24 mi 59% 1%
Clay County, KS 30 mi 67% 2%
Lincoln County, KS 31 mi 47% 1%
Dickinson County, KS 33 mi 81% 3%
Mitchell County, KS 34 mi 58% 1%
Ellsworth County, KS 42 mi 50% 1%
Republic County, KS 48 mi 69% 3%

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