Wichita County, Kansas
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 4% of Wichita 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 no flood losses here since 2016. 87% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.
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 Wichita County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 52.8% |
| Mapped soil | 459,865 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Richfield | 51% | 12% |
| Ulysses | 29% | n/a |
| Buffalo Park | 4% | n/a |
| Goshen | 3% | n/a |
| Colby | 3% | n/a |
| Campus | 1% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas KS203 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 20.22 in, 1.09 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 19.13 in.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 4% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Wichita 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 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 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 Wichita County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 19.13 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.22 in (+1.09) |
| 2025 | 21.83 in (+2.70) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 30.50 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 8.48 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TRIBUNE 1W (23 mi away) | 4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 920 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 87% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $99,300 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County, KS | 24 mi | 7% | 3% |
| Greeley County, KS | 25 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Logan County, KS | 31 mi | 5% | 2% |
| Kearny County, KS | 34 mi | 3% | 7% |
| Wallace County, KS | 38 mi | 4% | 3% |
| Hamilton County, KS | 42 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Finney County, KS | 44 mi | 14% | 5% |
| Lane County, KS | 48 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