Clay County, Nebraska
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 83% of Clay County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 93 Nebraska counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 17%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 78% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1954.
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 Clay County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 83.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 17.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 81.9% |
| Mapped soil | 367,308 acres |
How we count · survey areas NE035 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.8% by land area here, and 82% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 83% of the mapped land.
On 17% of Clay 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: 25.99 in, 2.01 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 28.00 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 24 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
1 flood losses since 2016, $1,561 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.00 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 25.99 in (-2.01) |
| 2025 | 27.99 in (-0.01) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 43.81 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 12.17 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLAY CTR (0 mi away) | 9.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,817 |
| Median year built | 1954 |
| Built before 1980 | 78% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $155,600 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County, NE | 24 mi | 40% | 7% |
| Fillmore County, NE | 24 mi | 91% | 25% |
| Nuckolls County, NE | 24 mi | 67% | 7% |
| Hamilton County, NE | 24 mi | 78% | 11% |
| Webster County, NE | 33 mi | 19% | 3% |
| Hall County, NE | 33 mi | 24% | 28% |
| York County, NE | 34 mi | 83% | 12% |
| Thayer County, NE | 34 mi | 68% | 6% |
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