Franklin County, Nebraska
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 5% of Franklin County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 5%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None 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. 87% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1940.
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 Franklin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 5.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.5% |
| Mapped soil | 368,704 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Holdrege | 32% | 0% |
| Nuckolls | 12% | n/a |
| Uly | 10% | n/a |
| Hobbs | 9% | n/a |
| Coly | 8% | n/a |
| Kenesaw | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE061 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 23.57 in, 2.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.87 in.
USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 5% and a shallow water table on 5% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Franklin County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 15.7% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Franklin County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.87 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 23.57 in (-2.30) |
| 2025 | 24.28 in (-1.59) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 41.92 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 13.10 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FRANKLIN #2 (6 mi away) | 6.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,531 |
| Median year built | 1940 |
| Built before 1980 | 87% |
| Built 2000 or later | 4% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $95,600 |
| Single-family detached | 92% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kearney County, NE | 23 mi | 16% | 17% |
| Harlan County, NE | 23 mi | 2% | 1% |
| Webster County, NE | 24 mi | 19% | 3% |
| Smith County, KS | 29 mi | 24% | 1% |
| Phelps County, NE | 33 mi | 11% | 9% |
| Adams County, NE | 34 mi | 40% | 7% |
| Phillips County, KS | 34 mi | 6% | 1% |
| Buffalo County, NE | 47 mi | 6% | 12% |
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