Pawnee County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 49% of Pawnee County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 9%.
33.2% 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. 77% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1956.
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 Pawnee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 49.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 9.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 79.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 52.9% |
| Mapped soil | 483,098 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Harney | 42% | 100% |
| Pratt | 6% | n/a |
| Uly | 5% | n/a |
| New Cambria | 4% | n/a |
| Attica | 4% | n/a |
| Naron | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS145 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.0% by land area here, and 53% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 49% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 33.2% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 49% of Pawnee County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 20.96 in, 4.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.26 in.
USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
33.2% 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 15 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 33.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 16.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Pawnee County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.26 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.96 in (-4.30) |
| 2025 | 31.07 in (+5.81) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 38.48 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 12.18 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BURDETT 3S (16 mi away) | 7.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,057 |
| Median year built | 1956 |
| Built before 1980 | 77% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $93,000 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edwards County, KS | 21 mi | 25% | 15% |
| Rush County, KS | 24 mi | 60% | 1% |
| Stafford County, KS | 30 mi | 10% | 30% |
| Barton County, KS | 33 mi | 54% | 10% |
| Hodgeman County, KS | 37 mi | 51% | 1% |
| Ness County, KS | 42 mi | 51% | 1% |
| Kiowa County, KS | 43 mi | 21% | 4% |
| Pratt County, KS | 46 mi | 15% | 8% |
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