Madison County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 15% of Madison County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.
2.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 61% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Madison County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 70.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.7% |
| Mapped soil | 368,326 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Nora | 18% | n/a |
| Crofton | 13% | n/a |
| Moody | 10% | 0% |
| Thurman | 10% | n/a |
| Alcester | 8% | n/a |
| Hobbs | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE119 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 15% of Madison 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: 22.00 in, 5.67 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.67 in.
USDA rates 71% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
2.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 48 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 20 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 | 2.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $318,621 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 9.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.67 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.00 in (-5.67) |
| 2025 | 28.43 in (+0.76) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2007: 39.61 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 15.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NORFOLK KARL STEFAN AP (10 mi away) | 5.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 15,510 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 61% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $208,500 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanton County, NE | 22 mi | 4% | 9% |
| Platte County, NE | 23 mi | 11% | 13% |
| Pierce County, NE | 25 mi | 2% | 17% |
| Boone County, NE | 28 mi | 2% | 5% |
| Antelope County, NE | 30 mi | 1% | 8% |
| Wayne County, NE | 32 mi | 6% | 11% |
| Colfax County, NE | 35 mi | 10% | 20% |
| Nance County, NE | 40 mi | 6% | 14% |
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