Kearney County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 17% of Kearney County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16%.
None 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. 79% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1963.
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 Kearney County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 17.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.8% |
| Mapped soil | 331,336 acres |
How we count · survey areas NE099 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 16% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
On 17% of Kearney 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: 21.23 in, 4.73 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.96 in.
USDA rates 77% 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 30 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 19 weeks, most recently on the July 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
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Kearney County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.96 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.23 in (-4.73) |
| 2025 | 22.24 in (-3.72) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 40.56 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 13.03 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MINDEN (0 mi away) | 6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,988 |
| Median year built | 1963 |
| Built before 1980 | 79% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $223,400 |
| Single-family detached | 91% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County, NE | 23 mi | 5% | 5% |
| Adams County, NE | 24 mi | 40% | 7% |
| Phelps County, NE | 24 mi | 11% | 9% |
| Buffalo County, NE | 25 mi | 6% | 12% |
| Webster County, NE | 33 mi | 19% | 3% |
| Harlan County, NE | 33 mi | 2% | 1% |
| Hall County, NE | 34 mi | 24% | 28% |
| Gosper County, NE | 46 mi | 3% | 2% |
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