Rooks County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 26% of Rooks County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
None 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. 87% 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 Rooks County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 28.1% |
| Mapped soil | 572,851 acres |
How we count · survey areas KS163 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 28% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 26% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 21.97 in, 2.53 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 24.50 in.
USDA rates 71% 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, in 6 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Rooks County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 24.50 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.97 in (-2.53) |
| 2025 | 21.53 in (-2.97) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 41.25 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 12.58 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PLAINVILLE 4WNW (8 mi away) | 7.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,635 |
| Median year built | 1953 |
| Built before 1980 | 87% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $89,000 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graham County, KS | 30 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Osborne County, KS | 30 mi | 45% | 1% |
| Ellis County, KS | 30 mi | 36% | 1% |
| Phillips County, KS | 30 mi | 6% | 1% |
| Trego County, KS | 41 mi | 26% | 1% |
| Smith County, KS | 42 mi | 24% | 1% |
| Russell County, KS | 42 mi | 40% | 1% |
| Norton County, KS | 43 mi | 2% | 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