Garfield County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 24% of Garfield County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
16.2% 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. 65% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.
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 Garfield County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 23.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 365,703 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine | 59% | 0% |
| Ipage | 6% | n/a |
| Tryon | 6% | n/a |
| Els | 6% | n/a |
| Hersh | 5% | n/a |
| Gates | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE071 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 24% of Garfield 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: 22.72 in, 3.43 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 26.15 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
16.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 weeks, most recently on the August 18, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 99% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 16.2% |
| 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 Garfield County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 26.15 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.72 in (-3.43) |
| 2025 | 30.38 in (+4.23) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 37.69 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 12.55 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ERICSON 8 WNW (10 mi away) | 6.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 990 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 65% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $176,600 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeler County, NE | 22 mi | 0% | 31% |
| Valley County, NE | 24 mi | 1% | 8% |
| Loup County, NE | 29 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Greeley County, NE | 32 mi | under 1% | 4% |
| Holt County, NE | 39 mi | 2% | 41% |
| Rock County, NE | 41 mi | 1% | 37% |
| Boone County, NE | 47 mi | 2% | 5% |
| Sherman County, NE | 48 mi | under 1% | 9% |
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