Johnson County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 74% of Johnson County's mapped land, a higher share than 84% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 93 Nebraska counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 69%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 78% 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 Johnson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 69.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 74.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 62.6% |
| Mapped soil | 241,101 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Wymore | 26% | 100% |
| Pawnee | 21% | n/a |
| Nodaway | 10% | n/a |
| Malmo | 6% | n/a |
| Morrill | 6% | n/a |
| Shelby | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE097 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.8% by land area here, and 63% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 69% of the mapped land.
On 74% of Johnson 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: 33.35 in, 0.76 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 32.59 in.
USDA rates 98% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the April 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.59 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.35 in (+0.76) |
| 2025 | 29.21 in (-3.38) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 49.62 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1974: 19.64 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TECUMSEH 1S (5 mi away) | 8.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,098 |
| Median year built | 1953 |
| Built before 1980 | 78% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $155,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pawnee County, NE | 18 mi | 70% | 65% |
| Otoe County, NE | 18 mi | 71% | 65% |
| Nemaha County, NE | 22 mi | 58% | 48% |
| Gage County, NE | 24 mi | 81% | 88% |
| Richardson County, NE | 34 mi | 58% | 42% |
| Lancaster County, NE | 35 mi | 73% | 51% |
| Cass County, NE | 36 mi | 71% | 21% |
| Fremont County, IA | 42 mi | 22% | 39% |
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