Garden County, Nebraska
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Garden County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 12%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 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. 77% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1953.
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 Garden County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 12.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.2% |
| Mapped soil | 1,107,584 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine | 56% | 0% |
| Sarben | 3% | n/a |
| Keith | 3% | n/a |
| Wildhorse | 3% | n/a |
| Ashollow | 2% | n/a |
| Valent | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE069 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.35 in, 6.12 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 18.47 in.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 12% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Garden County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 48 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 | 87.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Garden County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 18.47 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.35 in (-6.12) |
| 2025 | 17.53 in (-0.94) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 28.60 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 7.93 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CRESCENT LAKE NWR (11 mi away) | 3.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,173 |
| Median year built | 1953 |
| Built before 1980 | 77% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $110,400 |
| Single-family detached | 91% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur County, NE | 32 mi | 0% | 10% |
| Grant County, NE | 32 mi | 0% | 14% |
| Deuel County, NE | 36 mi | 1% | 3% |
| Morrill County, NE | 36 mi | under 1% | 13% |
| Keith County, NE | 46 mi | 1% | 11% |
| Cheyenne County, NE | 47 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Sedgwick County, CO | 53 mi | under 1% | 5% |
| Box Butte County, NE | 56 mi | 2% | 5% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status