Pratt County, Kansas
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 15% of Pratt County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 8%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% 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. 74% 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 Pratt County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 14.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 8.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 37.1% |
| Mapped soil | 470,701 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Blanket | 12% | n/a |
| Hayes | 11% | n/a |
| Naron | 7% | n/a |
| Albion | 7% | n/a |
| Saltcreek | 7% | n/a |
| Clark | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS151 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 22.25 in, 5.53 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.78 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 15% and a shallow water table on 8% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Pratt County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
100% 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 12 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 70.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Pratt County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.78 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.25 in (-5.53) |
| 2025 | 31.33 in (+3.55) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 39.46 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 12.13 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PRATT 3NW (3 mi away) | 7.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,364 |
| Median year built | 1956 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $114,600 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford County, KS | 27 mi | 10% | 30% |
| Barber County, KS | 30 mi | 21% | 2% |
| Kiowa County, KS | 31 mi | 21% | 4% |
| Kingman County, KS | 33 mi | 8% | 11% |
| Edwards County, KS | 35 mi | 25% | 15% |
| Reno County, KS | 42 mi | 14% | 20% |
| Comanche County, KS | 43 mi | 5% | 4% |
| Pawnee County, KS | 46 mi | 49% | 9% |
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