Boyd County, Nebraska
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 52% of Boyd County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 13%.
1.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 80% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1953.
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 Boyd County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 52.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 13.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 53.4% |
| Mapped soil | 347,276 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Labu | 11% | n/a |
| Onita | 10% | n/a |
| Reliance | 8% | n/a |
| Bristow | 7% | n/a |
| Sansarc | 6% | n/a |
| Ree | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE015 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.9% by land area here, and 53% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 52% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 1.2% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 52% of Boyd County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 18.40 in, 7.29 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.69 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
1.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 28 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 1.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $180,231 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.40 in (-7.29) |
| 2025 | 25.24 in (-0.45) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 35.86 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 13.51 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BUTTE (4 mi away) | 5.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,203 |
| Median year built | 1953 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 5% |
| Owner-occupied | 86% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $104,000 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Mix County, SD | 23 mi | 29% | 13% |
| Gregory County, SD | 29 mi | 68% | 7% |
| Holt County, NE | 30 mi | 2% | 41% |
| Douglas County, SD | 40 mi | 33% | 21% |
| Bon Homme County, SD | 45 mi | 27% | 26% |
| Rock County, NE | 48 mi | 1% | 37% |
| Keya Paha County, NE | 48 mi | 8% | 15% |
| Knox County, NE | 48 mi | 16% | 6% |
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