Perkins County, Nebraska
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of Perkins County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% 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. 83% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1951.
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 Perkins County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 70.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.0% |
| Mapped soil | 564,663 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Valent | 16% | n/a |
| Kuma | 15% | n/a |
| Satanta | 13% | n/a |
| Woodly | 12% | n/a |
| Rosebud | 11% | n/a |
| Keith | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE135 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 16.02 in, 3.82 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 19.84 in.
USDA rates 70% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Perkins County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 38 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 87.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Perkins County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 19.84 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 16.02 in (-3.82) |
| 2025 | 22.48 in (+2.64) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 35.73 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 10.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MADRID (4 mi away) | 5.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,359 |
| Median year built | 1951 |
| Built before 1980 | 83% |
| Built 2000 or later | 6% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $157,200 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase County, NE | 23 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Keith County, NE | 23 mi | 1% | 11% |
| Hayes County, NE | 38 mi | 5% | 1% |
| Sedgwick County, CO | 38 mi | under 1% | 5% |
| Deuel County, NE | 41 mi | 1% | 3% |
| Phillips County, CO | 42 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Dundy County, NE | 47 mi | under 1% | 3% |
| Lincoln County, NE | 48 mi | 1% | 11% |
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