Grant County, Nebraska
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Grant County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 14%, 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. 73% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1960.
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 Grant County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 13.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 500,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine | 80% | 0% |
| Gannett | 3% | n/a |
| Elsmere | 3% | n/a |
| Els | 2% | n/a |
| Dunday | 2% | n/a |
| Loup | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE075 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 14.84 in, 6.01 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 20.85 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 14% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Grant 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 49 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 | 9.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Grant County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 20.85 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 14.84 in (-6.01) |
| 2025 | 19.40 in (-1.45) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 32.68 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 9.40 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ARTHUR (23 mi away) | 4.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 407 |
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Built before 1980 | 73% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $136,700 |
| Single-family detached | 90% |
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 | 23 mi | 0% | 10% |
| Garden County, NE | 32 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Hooker County, NE | 35 mi | 0% | 5% |
| McPherson County, NE | 39 mi | under 1% | 9% |
| Keith County, NE | 49 mi | 1% | 11% |
| Sheridan County, NE | 51 mi | 2% | 11% |
| Cherry County, NE | 60 mi | under 1% | 16% |
| Deuel County, NE | 61 mi | 1% | 3% |
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