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Thurston County, Nebraska

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 4% of Thurston County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 14%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 12% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

4%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

14%

high water table: limits basements

12%

in drought, October 13, 2026

66%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Thurston County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)4.1%
High water table (limits basements)13.9%
Septic fields very limited65.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)4.8%
Mapped soil253,523 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Moody17%2%
Nora15%n/a
Monona13%n/a
Alcester13%n/a
Ida9%n/a
Crofton8%n/a
Dakota County: 13%Cuming County: 13%Burt County: 32%Dixon County: 2%Woodbury County: 16%Monona County: 30%Wayne County: 6%Stanton County: 4%Thurston County DakotaCumingBurtDixonWoodburyMononaWayneStantonThurston
Thurston County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas NE173 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 22.20 in, 7.47 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 29.67 in.

USDA rates 66% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 4% and a shallow water table on 14% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Thurston County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

12% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse98%
D1 moderate drought or worse12%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2 flood losses since 2016, $541,648 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20181
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202029.67 in
12 months to August 202622.20 in (-7.47)
202529.99 in (+0.32)
Wettest year since 18951984: 41.04 in
Driest year since 18951939: 14.92 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WALTHILL 1E (3 mi away)7

Homes

Housing units2,290
Median year built1970
Built before 198066%
Built 2000 or later17%
Owner-occupied61%
Median value, owner-occupied$114,600
Single-family detached81%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Dakota County, NE 16 mi 13% 22%
Cuming County, NE 21 mi 13% 19%
Burt County, NE 23 mi 32% 30%
Dixon County, NE 28 mi 2% 9%
Woodbury County, IA 30 mi 16% 25%
Monona County, IA 30 mi 30% 46%
Wayne County, NE 31 mi 6% 11%
Stanton County, NE 37 mi 4% 9%

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