Burt County, Nebraska
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 32% of Burt County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 30%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 24 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1956.
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 Burt County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 32.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 30.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 81.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 27.0% |
| Mapped soil | 318,080 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Moody | 18% | 2% |
| Alcester | 9% | n/a |
| Ida | 7% | n/a |
| Nora | 7% | n/a |
| Colo | 5% | n/a |
| Belfore | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE021 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.1% 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 32% of the mapped land.
On 30% of Burt 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: 24.85 in, 5.59 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 30.44 in.
USDA rates 82% 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 26 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 weeks, most recently on the September 8, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 51.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
24 flood losses since 2016, $919,228 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 12. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 15% slabs, 40% crawl spaces, 45% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 30.44 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 24.85 in (-5.59) |
| 2025 | 33.83 in (+3.39) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1903: 42.27 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 15.43 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TEKAMAH (8 mi away) | 7.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,333 |
| Median year built | 1956 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $147,000 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, NE | 23 mi | 20% | 16% |
| Thurston County, NE | 23 mi | 4% | 14% |
| Cuming County, NE | 24 mi | 13% | 19% |
| Monona County, IA | 24 mi | 30% | 46% |
| Dodge County, NE | 25 mi | 22% | 41% |
| Harrison County, IA | 29 mi | 17% | 30% |
| Dakota County, NE | 39 mi | 13% | 22% |
| Douglas County, NE | 40 mi | 3% | 19% |
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