Douglas County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 19% of Douglas County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 263 flood losses here since 2016, 48% of them in buildings with basements. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Douglas County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 19.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 52.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 19.4% |
| Mapped soil | 217,306 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Contrary | 10% | n/a |
| Marshall | 6% | 0% |
| Gibbon | 5% | n/a |
| Monona | 4% | n/a |
| Judson | 4% | n/a |
| Kennebec | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE055 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 19% of Douglas 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: 27.63 in, 5.06 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.69 in.
USDA rates 53% 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 11 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the March 31, 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
263 flood losses since 2016, $9.5 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 225. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 48% basements, 16% slabs, 21% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 225 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 20 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.63 in (-5.06) |
| 2025 | 31.38 in (-1.31) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 43.31 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 17.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BENNINGTON 3WSW (5 mi away) | 8.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 251,553 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $266,100 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarpy County, NE | 13 mi | 7% | 15% |
| Washington County, NE | 17 mi | 20% | 16% |
| Saunders County, NE | 26 mi | 54% | 24% |
| Cass County, NE | 27 mi | 71% | 21% |
| Pottawattamie County, IA | 32 mi | 14% | 25% |
| Harrison County, IA | 32 mi | 17% | 30% |
| Dodge County, NE | 32 mi | 22% | 41% |
| Mills County, IA | 33 mi | 16% | 28% |
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