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Howard County, Nebraska

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of Howard County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 14%, 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 13 flood losses here since 2016. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1963.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

14%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

70%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Howard County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.5%
High water table (limits basements)14.3%
Septic fields very limited79.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.5%
Mapped soil368,307 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Holdrege16%0%
Uly13%n/a
Coly12%n/a
Valentine7%0%
Hord7%n/a
Libory5%n/a
Sherman County: 0%Hall County: 24%Greeley County: 0%Merrick County: 3%Nance County: 6%Valley County: 1%Hamilton County: 78%Buffalo County: 6%Howard County ShermanHallGreeleyMerrickNanceValleyHamiltonBuffaloHoward
Howard County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas NE093 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 24.81 in, 2.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.11 in.

USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on 14% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Howard 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 36 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

13 flood losses since 2016, $221,314 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 11.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
201911
20200
20210
20220
20230
20242
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202027.11 in
12 months to August 202624.81 in (-2.30)
202528.65 in (+1.54)
Wettest year since 18952019: 39.80 in
Driest year since 18952012: 13.63 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAINT PAUL (3 mi away)7

Homes

Housing units2,894
Median year built1963
Built before 198070%
Built 2000 or later14%
Owner-occupied78%
Median value, owner-occupied$209,100
Single-family detached92%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Sherman County, NE 24 mi under 1% 9%
Hall County, NE 24 mi 24% 28%
Greeley County, NE 24 mi under 1% 4%
Merrick County, NE 25 mi 3% 53%
Nance County, NE 30 mi 6% 14%
Valley County, NE 34 mi 1% 8%
Hamilton County, NE 35 mi 78% 11%
Buffalo County, NE 38 mi 6% 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