Niobrara County, Wyoming
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 10% of Niobrara County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 1%, 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. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1962.
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 Niobrara County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 56.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.6% |
| Mapped soil | 1,718,083 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Theedle | 11% | n/a |
| Kishona | 6% | n/a |
| Shingle | 5% | n/a |
| Taluce | 5% | n/a |
| Jayem | 4% | n/a |
| Cambria | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WY027 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.05 in, 2.54 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 15.59 in.
USDA rates 57% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 10% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Niobrara 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 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 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 | 42.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Niobrara County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 15.59 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 13.05 in (-2.54) |
| 2025 | 16.09 in (+0.50) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1915: 23.63 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 7.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at REDBIRD (16 mi away) | 1.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,425 |
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $221,500 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall River County, SD | 49 mi | 55% | 1% |
| Converse County, WY | 54 mi | 16% | 1% |
| Weston County, WY | 54 mi | 27% | 1% |
| Sioux County, NE | 55 mi | 12% | 1% |
| Custer County, SD | 67 mi | 17% | 1% |
| Goshen County, WY | 67 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Platte County, WY | 69 mi | under 1% | 2% |
| Dawes County, NE | 72 mi | 24% | 1% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status