Buena Vista County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 83% of Buena Vista County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 22%.
None 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. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.
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 Buena Vista County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 22.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 83.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 14.9% |
| Mapped soil | 371,100 acres |
How we count · survey areas IA021 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 15% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 22% of the mapped land.
On 83% of Buena Vista County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 20.94 in, 10.10 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 31.04 in.
USDA rates 93% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Buena Vista County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 31.04 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.94 in (-10.10) |
| 2025 | 31.22 in (+0.18) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1951: 42.26 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 15.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SIOUX RAPIDS 4 E (11 mi away) | 7.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,293 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $159,500 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, IA | 23 mi | 32% | 77% |
| Pocahontas County, IA | 23 mi | 13% | 93% |
| Sac County, IA | 25 mi | 26% | 63% |
| Cherokee County, IA | 25 mi | 27% | 36% |
| Ida County, IA | 31 mi | 23% | 27% |
| Palo Alto County, IA | 33 mi | 10% | 85% |
| O'Brien County, IA | 34 mi | 47% | 64% |
| Calhoun County, IA | 35 mi | 13% | 91% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status