Holt County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 41% of Holt County's mapped land, a higher share than 59% of US counties and the 10th highest of 93 Nebraska counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
41.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.
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 Holt County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 40.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.4% |
| Mapped soil | 1,547,348 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine | 23% | 0% |
| Els | 10% | n/a |
| Ipage | 8% | n/a |
| Elsmere | 7% | n/a |
| Oneill | 7% | n/a |
| Meadin | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE089 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 41% of Holt 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: 19.55 in, 6.66 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 26.21 in.
USDA rates 98% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
41.7% 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 26 weeks, most recently on the August 18, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 41.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $4,899 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 26.21 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 19.55 in (-6.66) |
| 2025 | 26.16 in (-0.05) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 35.77 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 14.13 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at O'NEILL (7 mi away) | 6.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,900 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $165,100 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boyd County, NE | 30 mi | 52% | 13% |
| Rock County, NE | 33 mi | 1% | 37% |
| Garfield County, NE | 39 mi | under 1% | 24% |
| Wheeler County, NE | 39 mi | 0% | 31% |
| Antelope County, NE | 42 mi | 1% | 8% |
| Knox County, NE | 47 mi | 16% | 6% |
| Charles Mix County, SD | 53 mi | 29% | 13% |
| Loup County, NE | 54 mi | under 1% | 12% |
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