Atchison County, KS Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Atchison County, KS
High
Soil across 59.5% of Atchison County, KS comes back "High" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 6.02% linear extensibility. Ground like this needs active moisture control to keep a conventional foundation from cracking - it's not automatic either way.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Atchison County, KS - never a reading for one specific parcel. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Atchison County will actually do.
Atchison County: the real numbers
With Atchison County, KS rating "High", the gap between finding out early and finding out late is the whole decision. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000 (typically $2,700); an actual foundation repair, once cracking sets in, typically runs $5,000-$15,000 (around $10,000 typical) - roughly 4x the report.
Where this sits nationally
Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Atchison County, KS ranks 130 most-constrained nationally, and 8 of 105 within Kansas. Atchison County, KS is 431 square miles with a population of 16,249.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Clearwater County, MN and Livingston County, IL are worth a look for comparison.
How this reading is built, and its real limits · The warning signs of expansive-clay damage, explained
Elsewhere in Kansas
Every county in Kansas is on this site, including Pawnee County, KS and Cherokee County, KS. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.