Rice County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 47% of Rice County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 17%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 82% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1953.
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 Rice County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 46.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 16.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 47.0% |
| Mapped soil | 465,959 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Crete | 23% | 100% |
| Geary | 9% | n/a |
| Smolan | 8% | n/a |
| Dillwyn | 4% | n/a |
| Solvay | 4% | n/a |
| Naron | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS159 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.9% 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 47% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 47% of Rice County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 17% of Rice 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: 26.16 in, 3.37 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 29.53 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 23 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 | 31% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $64,769 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 10.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 29.53 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 26.16 in (-3.37) |
| 2025 | 36.22 in (+6.69) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 46.45 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 15.54 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at STERLING (9 mi away) | 8.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,384 |
| Median year built | 1953 |
| Built before 1980 | 82% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $104,600 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellsworth County, KS | 24 mi | 50% | 1% |
| Reno County, KS | 28 mi | 14% | 20% |
| McPherson County, KS | 30 mi | 72% | 18% |
| Barton County, KS | 32 mi | 54% | 10% |
| Stafford County, KS | 35 mi | 10% | 30% |
| Saline County, KS | 43 mi | 52% | 5% |
| Harvey County, KS | 46 mi | 69% | 32% |
| Lincoln County, KS | 48 mi | 47% | 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