Cuming County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 19% of Cuming County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 25 flood losses here since 2016. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.
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 Cuming County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 13.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 18.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 12.6% |
| Mapped soil | 367,725 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Moody | 29% | 0% |
| Nora | 20% | n/a |
| Alcester | 11% | n/a |
| Belfore | 8% | n/a |
| Crofton | 5% | n/a |
| Zook | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE039 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 19% of Cuming 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: 24.89 in, 4.71 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 29.60 in.
USDA rates 78% 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 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 14 weeks, most recently on the September 8, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 92% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
25 flood losses since 2016, $440,390 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 25. Median water depth outside the building: 13.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 25 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 29.60 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 24.89 in (-4.71) |
| 2025 | 32.21 in (+2.61) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 42.99 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1939: 14.92 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at W PT (6 mi away) | 7.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,153 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $178,800 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanton County, NE | 20 mi | 4% | 9% |
| Thurston County, NE | 21 mi | 4% | 14% |
| Burt County, NE | 24 mi | 32% | 30% |
| Dodge County, NE | 25 mi | 22% | 41% |
| Wayne County, NE | 27 mi | 6% | 11% |
| Colfax County, NE | 28 mi | 10% | 20% |
| Dakota County, NE | 35 mi | 13% | 22% |
| Washington County, NE | 39 mi | 20% | 16% |
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