Osage County, KS Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Osage County, KS

Moderate

Soil across 53.9% of Osage County, KS comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 5.91% linear extensibility. A real but modest amount of movement - standard foundations usually hold up, but drainage and moisture control around the foundation still matter more than on low-risk soil.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Osage 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 Osage County will actually do.

Osage County: the real numbers

Osage 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.

Where this sits nationally

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Osage County, KS ranks 141 most-constrained nationally, and 13 of 105 within Kansas. Osage County covers 706 square miles and counts 15,737 residents.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Chase County, KS and Crittenden County, KY 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 Smith County, KS and Thomas County, KS. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.