Cherry County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 16% of Cherry County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
31.3% 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. 64% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Cherry County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 16.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 3,845,197 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine | 72% | 0% |
| Ipage | 4% | n/a |
| Tryon | 3% | n/a |
| Els | 3% | n/a |
| Dunday | 2% | n/a |
| McKelvie | 1% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE031 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 16% of Cherry 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: 18.73 in, 3.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.00 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
31.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 48 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 20 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 82.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 31.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Cherry County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 22.00 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.73 in (-3.27) |
| 2025 | 22.47 in (+0.47) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 32.92 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1989: 10.98 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at VALENTINE NWR (18 mi away) | 5.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,009 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $152,200 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hooker County, NE | 45 mi | 0% | 5% |
| Todd County, SD | 47 mi | 12% | 9% |
| Bennett County, SD | 53 mi | 10% | 8% |
| Thomas County, NE | 56 mi | 0% | 5% |
| Brown County, NE | 59 mi | under 1% | 17% |
| Grant County, NE | 60 mi | 0% | 14% |
| McPherson County, NE | 64 mi | under 1% | 9% |
| Sheridan County, NE | 67 mi | 2% | 11% |
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