Cass County, Nebraska
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 71% of Cass County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties and the 8th highest of 93 Nebraska 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 92 flood losses here since 2016, 11% of them in buildings with basements. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Cass County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 71.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 21.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 21.8% |
| Mapped soil | 362,202 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Yutan | 25% | n/a |
| Marshall | 20% | 14% |
| Nodaway | 8% | n/a |
| Aksarben | 7% | n/a |
| Monona | 7% | n/a |
| Judson | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE025 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.4% by land area here, and 22% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 71% of the mapped land.
On 21% of Cass 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: 31.91 in, 0.99 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.90 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 11 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the March 31, 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
92 flood losses since 2016, $5.8 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 84. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 11% basements, 41% slabs, 14% crawl spaces, 34% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 36 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 84 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.90 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.91 in (-0.99) |
| 2025 | 28.99 in (-3.91) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 49.24 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 17.50 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ASHLAND #2 (15 mi away) | 8.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 11,875 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $254,900 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarpy County, NE | 14 mi | 7% | 15% |
| Otoe County, NE | 19 mi | 71% | 65% |
| Douglas County, NE | 27 mi | 3% | 19% |
| Mills County, IA | 29 mi | 16% | 28% |
| Lancaster County, NE | 30 mi | 73% | 51% |
| Fremont County, IA | 31 mi | 22% | 39% |
| Saunders County, NE | 34 mi | 54% | 24% |
| Johnson County, NE | 36 mi | 69% | 74% |
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