Pierce County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 17% of Pierce County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
93.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 73% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.
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 Pierce County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 16.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 72.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.6% |
| Mapped soil | 367,834 acres |
How we count · survey areas NE139 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 17% of Pierce 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: 19.47 in, 8.38 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.85 in.
USDA rates 73% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
93.6% 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 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 | 93.6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $181,009 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.85 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 19.47 in (-8.38) |
| 2025 | 26.67 in (-1.18) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2007: 38.01 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 14.70 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PIERCE (7 mi away) | 6.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,136 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 73% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $196,000 |
| Single-family detached | 92% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antelope County, NE | 24 mi | 1% | 8% |
| Madison County, NE | 25 mi | 7% | 15% |
| Wayne County, NE | 25 mi | 6% | 11% |
| Knox County, NE | 29 mi | 16% | 6% |
| Cedar County, NE | 29 mi | 2% | 7% |
| Stanton County, NE | 34 mi | 4% | 9% |
| Dixon County, NE | 41 mi | 2% | 9% |
| Boone County, NE | 46 mi | 2% | 5% |
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