Seward County, Nebraska
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 63% of Seward County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 19%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 64% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Seward County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 63.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 19.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 58.9% |
| Mapped soil | 368,557 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Hastings | 43% | 98% |
| Hobbs | 8% | n/a |
| Muir | 7% | n/a |
| Butler | 7% | n/a |
| Fillmore | 5% | n/a |
| Pawnee | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE159 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.2% by land area here, and 59% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 63% of the mapped land.
On 19% of Seward 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: 27.64 in, 2.06 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 29.70 in.
USDA rates 89% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 18 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6 flood losses since 2016, $48,315 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 29.70 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.64 in (-2.06) |
| 2025 | 27.74 in (-1.96) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1908: 42.83 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 14.94 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SEWARD (3 mi away) | 6.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,206 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $241,300 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| York County, NE | 24 mi | 83% | 12% |
| Lancaster County, NE | 24 mi | 73% | 51% |
| Butler County, NE | 24 mi | 57% | 21% |
| Saline County, NE | 25 mi | 79% | 11% |
| Polk County, NE | 31 mi | 57% | 18% |
| Fillmore County, NE | 34 mi | 91% | 25% |
| Saunders County, NE | 35 mi | 54% | 24% |
| Hamilton County, NE | 46 mi | 78% | 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