Stafford County, Kansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 30% of Stafford County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.
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. 83% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1951.
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 Stafford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 29.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 32.8% |
| Mapped soil | 508,902 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Pratt | 16% | n/a |
| Solvay | 13% | n/a |
| Hayes | 11% | n/a |
| Naron | 9% | n/a |
| Saltcreek | 8% | n/a |
| Carway | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS185 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 30% of Stafford 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: 20.71 in, 6.51 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.22 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 17 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 | 70.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Stafford County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.22 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.71 in (-6.51) |
| 2025 | 29.52 in (+2.30) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 39.08 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 13.18 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HUDSON (6 mi away) | 8.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,093 |
| Median year built | 1951 |
| Built before 1980 | 83% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $97,600 |
| Single-family detached | 90% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pratt County, KS | 27 mi | 15% | 8% |
| Pawnee County, KS | 30 mi | 49% | 9% |
| Barton County, KS | 31 mi | 54% | 10% |
| Edwards County, KS | 34 mi | 25% | 15% |
| Rice County, KS | 35 mi | 47% | 17% |
| Reno County, KS | 35 mi | 14% | 20% |
| Kiowa County, KS | 45 mi | 21% | 4% |
| Kingman County, KS | 46 mi | 8% | 11% |
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