Keya Paha County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 15% of Keya Paha County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.
40.9% 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. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1967.
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 Keya Paha County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 7.7% |
| Mapped soil | 495,674 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine | 20% | 0% |
| Longpine | 9% | n/a |
| Ronson | 8% | n/a |
| Holt variant | 5% | n/a |
| Duda | 5% | n/a |
| Ipage | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE103 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 15% of Keya Paha 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: 20.93 in, 3.05 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 23.98 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
40.9% 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 20 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 69.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 40.9% |
| 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 Keya Paha County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 23.98 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.93 in (-3.05) |
| 2025 | 24.36 in (+0.38) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 37.70 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1989: 12.40 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at AINSWORTH (23 mi away) | 4.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 489 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $108,800 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory County, SD | 33 mi | 68% | 7% |
| Tripp County, SD | 34 mi | 61% | 9% |
| Rock County, NE | 36 mi | 1% | 37% |
| Brown County, NE | 37 mi | under 1% | 17% |
| Boyd County, NE | 48 mi | 52% | 13% |
| Todd County, SD | 55 mi | 12% | 9% |
| Holt County, NE | 55 mi | 2% | 41% |
| Charles Mix County, SD | 61 mi | 29% | 13% |
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