Cheyenne County, Nebraska
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Cheyenne County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% 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. 73% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1957.
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 Cheyenne County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 39.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.9% |
| Mapped soil | 765,498 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance | 13% | n/a |
| Kuma | 12% | n/a |
| Duroc | 11% | n/a |
| Keith | 11% | n/a |
| Canyon | 9% | n/a |
| Rosebud | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE033 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.37 in, 6.64 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 18.01 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Cheyenne County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 41 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 67.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 37% |
| D4 exceptional | 11.7% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Cheyenne County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 18.01 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.37 in (-6.64) |
| 2025 | 17.89 in (-0.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 26.72 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 9.33 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SIDNEY 6 NNW (1 mi away) | 3.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,888 |
| Median year built | 1957 |
| Built before 1980 | 73% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $139,700 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logan County, CO | 34 mi | 9% | 5% |
| Morrill County, NE | 36 mi | under 1% | 13% |
| Kimball County, NE | 36 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Deuel County, NE | 36 mi | 1% | 3% |
| Sedgwick County, CO | 42 mi | under 1% | 5% |
| Banner County, NE | 43 mi | under 1% | 2% |
| Garden County, NE | 47 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Phillips County, CO | 55 mi | 1% | under 1% |
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