Wabaunsee County, Kansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 73% of Wabaunsee County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 27%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 64% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.
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 Wabaunsee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 72.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 26.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 67.5% |
| Mapped soil | 511,827 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Clime | 20% | n/a |
| Martin | 15% | n/a |
| Irwin | 12% | n/a |
| Sogn | 8% | n/a |
| Labette | 7% | n/a |
| Florence | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS197 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.5% by land area here, and 68% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 73% of the mapped land.
On 27% of Wabaunsee 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: 38.95 in, 3.32 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 35.63 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 5 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 1.1% of its area, on the October 14, 2025 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
3 flood losses since 2016, $84,661 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.63 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.95 in (+3.32) |
| 2025 | 32.83 in (-2.80) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1951: 56.42 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1966: 18.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MC FARLAND (7 mi away) | 9.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,136 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $177,300 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee County, KS | 25 mi | 65% | 59% |
| Pottawatomie County, KS | 30 mi | 71% | 35% |
| Morris County, KS | 30 mi | 82% | 10% |
| Geary County, KS | 31 mi | 71% | 6% |
| Osage County, KS | 34 mi | 77% | 69% |
| Lyon County, KS | 35 mi | 80% | 53% |
| Riley County, KS | 37 mi | 76% | 22% |
| Jackson County, KS | 38 mi | 76% | 73% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 26, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status