Trego County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 26% of Trego County's mapped land, a higher share than 76% 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. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1963.
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 Trego County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 25.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 53.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 27.0% |
| Mapped soil | 576,416 acres |
How we count · survey areas KS195 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 27% 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: 20.73 in, 1.72 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.45 in.
USDA rates 53% 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 19 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 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 Trego County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 22.45 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.73 in (-1.72) |
| 2025 | 21.48 in (-0.97) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 35.98 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2022: 10.27 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WAKEENEY (6 mi away) | 5.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,709 |
| Median year built | 1963 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $120,900 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis County, KS | 29 mi | 36% | 1% |
| Graham County, KS | 30 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Ness County, KS | 31 mi | 51% | 1% |
| Gove County, KS | 33 mi | 11% | 1% |
| Rush County, KS | 41 mi | 60% | 1% |
| Rooks County, KS | 41 mi | 26% | 1% |
| Sheridan County, KS | 43 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Lane County, KS | 44 mi | 36% | 3% |
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