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Sheridan County, Kansas

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of Sheridan County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

2%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

74%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Sheridan County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.7%
High water table (limits basements)2.3%
Septic fields very limited13.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.7%
Mapped soil573,588 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Keith46%n/a
Ulysses16%n/a
Colby8%n/a
Penden6%n/a
Buffalo Park5%n/a
Kuma4%n/a
Decatur County: 3%Graham County: 3%Gove County: 11%Thomas County: 3%Norton County: 2%Trego County: 26%Rawlins County: 2%Logan County: 5%Sheridan County DecaturGrahamGoveThomasNortonTregoRawlinsLoganSheridan
Sheridan County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas KS179 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 20.31 in, 1.61 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 21.92 in.

With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Sheridan County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

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 26 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 weeks, most recently on the June 16, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

4 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date4

Rain

Average year, 1991-202021.92 in
12 months to August 202620.31 in (-1.61)
202521.54 in (-0.38)
Wettest year since 18951923: 34.17 in
Driest year since 18951910: 10.02 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HOXIE (0 mi away)5

Homes

Housing units1,155
Median year built1969
Built before 198074%
Built 2000 or later10%
Owner-occupied77%
Median value, owner-occupied$167,200
Single-family detached91%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Decatur County, KS 30 mi 3% 2%
Graham County, KS 30 mi 3% 1%
Gove County, KS 30 mi 11% 1%
Thomas County, KS 35 mi 3% 3%
Norton County, KS 42 mi 2% 1%
Trego County, KS 43 mi 26% 1%
Rawlins County, KS 45 mi 2% 2%
Logan County, KS 49 mi 5% 2%

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