Jackson County, KS Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Jackson County, KS
Moderate
Soil across 61% of Jackson County, KS comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 5.96% linear extensibility. That's a middle reading: not the sharp swings that crack a foundation outright, but enough that grading and drainage are worth getting right.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Jackson County, KS - never a reading for one specific parcel. A site-specific soil report, usually $1,000-$5,000, is what an engineer would actually pull before designing a foundation on a lot in Jackson County.
Jackson County: the real numbers
Jackson County's soil reading points toward standard foundation practice as the likely outcome, not the exception. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000, typically around $2,700. Foundation repair, if a specific lot turns out to differ from the county average, runs $5,000-$15,000.
Jackson County's rank among Kansas counties
Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Jackson County, KS ranks 137 most-constrained nationally, and 12 of 105 within Kansas. The county spans 656 square miles, home to 13,525 people.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Mineral County, NV and Moniteau County, MO are worth a look for comparison.
How this reading is built, and its real limits · Moisture management: the cheap fix that works on any soil
Elsewhere in Kansas
Every county in Kansas is on this site, including Rooks County, KS and Rice County, KS. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.