Box Butte County, Nebraska
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of Box Butte County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 5%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 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. 79% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1965.
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 Box Butte County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 44.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.4% |
| Mapped soil | 689,574 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance | 15% | n/a |
| Rosebud | 8% | n/a |
| Creighton | 8% | n/a |
| Keith | 8% | n/a |
| Busher | 7% | n/a |
| Valentine | 6% | 0% |
How we count · survey areas NE013 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.42 in, 5.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 17.53 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on 5% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Box Butte County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 42 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 53.3% |
| D4 exceptional | 2.1% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Box Butte County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 17.53 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.42 in (-5.11) |
| 2025 | 18.52 in (+0.99) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 29.47 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 8.27 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HEMINGFORD (8 mi away) | 2.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,212 |
| Median year built | 1965 |
| Built before 1980 | 79% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $166,600 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morrill County, NE | 33 mi | under 1% | 13% |
| Dawes County, NE | 35 mi | 24% | 1% |
| Sioux County, NE | 38 mi | 12% | 1% |
| Scotts Bluff County, NE | 40 mi | 2% | 11% |
| Sheridan County, NE | 42 mi | 2% | 11% |
| Garden County, NE | 56 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Banner County, NE | 57 mi | under 1% | 2% |
| Goshen County, WY | 66 mi | 1% | 2% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status