Loup County, Nebraska
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Loup County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 12%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 70.3% 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. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Loup County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 12.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 367,392 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine | 71% | 0% |
| Ipage | 6% | n/a |
| Hersh | 5% | n/a |
| Els | 3% | n/a |
| Gates | 3% | n/a |
| Tryon | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE115 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 22.36 in, 2.89 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.25 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 12% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Loup County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
70.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 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 | 70.3% |
| 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 Loup County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.25 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.36 in (-2.89) |
| 2025 | 28.17 in (+2.92) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 37.07 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1955: 12.12 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TAYLOR (11 mi away) | 7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 435 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $182,300 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaine County, NE | 25 mi | under 1% | 19% |
| Garfield County, NE | 29 mi | under 1% | 24% |
| Rock County, NE | 35 mi | 1% | 37% |
| Valley County, NE | 36 mi | 1% | 8% |
| Custer County, NE | 37 mi | under 1% | 4% |
| Brown County, NE | 38 mi | under 1% | 17% |
| Logan County, NE | 51 mi | under 1% | 8% |
| Wheeler County, NE | 51 mi | 0% | 31% |
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