Rock County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 37% of Rock County's mapped land, a higher share than 56% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
64% 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. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.
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 Rock County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 37.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 646,970 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine | 49% | 0% |
| Els | 15% | n/a |
| Tryon | 6% | n/a |
| Ipage | 5% | n/a |
| Loup | 5% | n/a |
| Pivot | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE149 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 37% of Rock 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: 21.44 in, 3.88 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.32 in.
USDA rates 98% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
64% 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 25, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 64% |
| 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 Rock County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.32 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.44 in (-3.88) |
| 2025 | 27.53 in (+2.21) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 38.82 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 13.64 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEWPORT (15 mi away) | 6.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 809 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $117,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County, NE | 26 mi | under 1% | 17% |
| Holt County, NE | 33 mi | 2% | 41% |
| Loup County, NE | 35 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Keya Paha County, NE | 36 mi | 8% | 15% |
| Garfield County, NE | 41 mi | under 1% | 24% |
| Blaine County, NE | 43 mi | under 1% | 19% |
| Boyd County, NE | 48 mi | 52% | 13% |
| Gregory County, SD | 55 mi | 68% | 7% |
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