Reno County, Kansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 20% of Reno County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 14%.
82.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 29 flood losses here since 2016. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1962.
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 Reno County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 13.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 19.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 30.2% |
| Mapped soil | 814,176 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Shellabarger | 12% | n/a |
| Nalim | 5% | n/a |
| Avans | 4% | n/a |
| Taver | 4% | n/a |
| Hayes | 4% | n/a |
| Saltcreek | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS155 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 20% of Reno County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 27.49 in, 2.94 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 30.43 in.
USDA rates 93% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
82.3% 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 September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 82.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 4.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
29 flood losses since 2016, $633,427 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 21.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 30.43 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.49 in (-2.94) |
| 2025 | 37.20 in (+6.77) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1951: 42.06 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1966: 14.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HUTCHINSON 10 SW (3 mi away) | 8.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 28,274 |
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $132,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingman County, KS | 28 mi | 8% | 11% |
| Rice County, KS | 28 mi | 47% | 17% |
| Stafford County, KS | 35 mi | 10% | 30% |
| Harvey County, KS | 36 mi | 69% | 32% |
| Sedgwick County, KS | 38 mi | 42% | 11% |
| McPherson County, KS | 39 mi | 72% | 18% |
| Pratt County, KS | 42 mi | 15% | 8% |
| Ellsworth County, KS | 52 mi | 50% | 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