Dawes County, Nebraska
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 24% of Dawes County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
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. 78% 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 Dawes County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 23.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 32.3% |
| Mapped soil | 897,184 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Pierre | 8% | n/a |
| Canyon | 7% | n/a |
| Kyle | 6% | n/a |
| Samsil | 5% | n/a |
| Orella | 5% | n/a |
| Alliance | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE045 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.4% by land area here, and 32% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 24% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 24% of Dawes County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.06 in, 5.28 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 18.34 in.
USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 34 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 | 70.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 27.8% |
| D4 exceptional | 11.2% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Dawes County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 18.34 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 13.06 in (-5.28) |
| 2025 | 17.96 in (-0.38) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 31.37 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 8.70 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHADRON 3SW (8 mi away) | 2.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,037 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 78% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $150,900 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux County, NE | 35 mi | 12% | 1% |
| Box Butte County, NE | 35 mi | 2% | 5% |
| Fall River County, SD | 40 mi | 55% | 1% |
| Sheridan County, NE | 42 mi | 2% | 11% |
| Oglala Lakota County, SD | 52 mi | 23% | 1% |
| Scotts Bluff County, NE | 66 mi | 2% | 11% |
| Morrill County, NE | 68 mi | under 1% | 13% |
| Custer County, SD | 69 mi | 17% | 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