Lander County, Nevada
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 11% of Lander County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 6%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% 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. 34% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Lander County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 13.0% |
| Mapped soil | 3,585,939 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Orovada | 4% | n/a |
| Beoska | 2% | n/a |
| Wendane | 2% | n/a |
| Creemon | 2% | n/a |
| Broyles | 2% | n/a |
| Oxcorel | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NV612 (2025-08-28), NV763 (2025-09-02), NV768 (2025-09-02), NV775 (2025-09-02), NV782 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 9.86 in, 0.40 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 10.26 in.
USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 11% and a shallow water table on 6% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Lander County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 94.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Lander County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 10.26 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 9.86 in (-0.40) |
| 2025 | 10.88 in (+0.62) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1998: 19.21 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1959: 4.83 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BEOWAWE 49S - U OF N RCH (24 mi away) | 0.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,739 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 34% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $213,800 |
| Single-family detached | 39% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka County, NV | 41 mi | 14% | 6% |
| Churchill County, NV | 69 mi | 11% | 11% |
| Pershing County, NV | 81 mi | 11% | 4% |
| Humboldt County, NV | 119 mi | 21% | 9% |
| White Pine County, NV | 119 mi | 7% | 4% |
| Mineral County, NV | 120 mi | 5% | 2% |
| Elko County, NV | 124 mi | 19% | 4% |
| Lyon County, NV | 130 mi | 11% | 8% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status