Thomas County, Nebraska
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Thomas County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 5%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 38.4% 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. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1961.
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 Thomas County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 456,576 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine | 90% | 0% |
| Dunday | 2% | n/a |
| Els | 1% | n/a |
| Ipage | 1% | n/a |
| Tryon | 1% | n/a |
| Natick | 1% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE171 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 21.78 in, 2.53 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 24.31 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 5% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Thomas County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
38.4% 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 28 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 | 38.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Thomas County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 24.31 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.78 in (-2.53) |
| 2025 | 26.99 in (+2.68) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 35.64 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2002: 11.65 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at STAPLETON 5W (28 mi away) | 4.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 357 |
| Median year built | 1961 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $109,200 |
| Single-family detached | 90% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logan County, NE | 20 mi | under 1% | 8% |
| Blaine County, NE | 28 mi | under 1% | 19% |
| Hooker County, NE | 31 mi | 0% | 5% |
| McPherson County, NE | 34 mi | under 1% | 9% |
| Brown County, NE | 46 mi | under 1% | 17% |
| Loup County, NE | 52 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Custer County, NE | 52 mi | under 1% | 4% |
| Cherry County, NE | 56 mi | under 1% | 16% |
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