Butler County, Nebraska
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 57% of Butler County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 21%.
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. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.
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 Butler County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 57.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 21.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 50.7% |
| Mapped soil | 373,888 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Hastings | 33% | 98% |
| Pohocco | 6% | n/a |
| Butler | 5% | n/a |
| Hobbs | 5% | n/a |
| Muir | 5% | n/a |
| Yutan | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE023 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.6% by land area here, and 51% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 57% of the mapped land.
On 21% of Butler 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: 25.24 in, 4.37 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 29.61 in.
USDA rates 83% 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 13 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 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
3 flood losses since 2016, $83,688 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 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 29.61 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 25.24 in (-4.37) |
| 2025 | 27.71 in (-1.90) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 41.82 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 13.05 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DAVID CITY (2 mi away) | 7.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,039 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $184,200 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, NE | 23 mi | 57% | 18% |
| Colfax County, NE | 24 mi | 10% | 20% |
| Seward County, NE | 24 mi | 63% | 19% |
| Saunders County, NE | 25 mi | 54% | 24% |
| Platte County, NE | 31 mi | 11% | 13% |
| York County, NE | 34 mi | 83% | 12% |
| Dodge County, NE | 35 mi | 22% | 41% |
| Lancaster County, NE | 38 mi | 73% | 51% |
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