Colfax County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 20% of Colfax County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 33 flood losses here since 2016, 72% of them in buildings with basements. 73% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1967.
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 Colfax County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 20.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 72.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 10.8% |
| Mapped soil | 268,058 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Moody | 23% | 0% |
| Nora | 14% | n/a |
| Crofton | 13% | n/a |
| Alcester | 10% | n/a |
| Shell | 6% | n/a |
| Zook | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE037 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 20% of Colfax 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: 26.35 in, 2.58 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 28.93 in.
USDA rates 73% 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 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0.7% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
33 flood losses since 2016, $567,286 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 28. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 72% basements, 8% slabs, 16% crawl spaces, 4% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 28 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.93 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 26.35 in (-2.58) |
| 2025 | 31.00 in (+2.07) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1982: 40.13 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 14.11 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HOWELLS (11 mi away) | 6.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,997 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 73% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $144,700 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platte County, NE | 22 mi | 11% | 13% |
| Dodge County, NE | 23 mi | 22% | 41% |
| Stanton County, NE | 23 mi | 4% | 9% |
| Butler County, NE | 24 mi | 57% | 21% |
| Cuming County, NE | 28 mi | 13% | 19% |
| Saunders County, NE | 33 mi | 54% | 24% |
| Madison County, NE | 35 mi | 7% | 15% |
| Polk County, NE | 37 mi | 57% | 18% |
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