Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 75% of Cerro Gordo County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1959.
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 Cerro Gordo County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 75.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 7.2% |
| Mapped soil | 368,100 acres |
How we count · survey areas IA033 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 75% of Cerro Gordo 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: 30.20 in, 5.55 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.75 in.
USDA rates 91% 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 9 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 98.7% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the June 30, 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
13 flood losses since 2016, $73,628 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 11.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.75 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.20 in (-5.55) |
| 2025 | 38.84 in (+3.09) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 51.74 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 16.49 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MASON CITY MUNI AP (7 mi away) | 8.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 22,786 |
| Median year built | 1959 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $166,400 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worth County, IA | 21 mi | 10% | 80% |
| Franklin County, IA | 23 mi | 13% | 72% |
| Floyd County, IA | 23 mi | 3% | 74% |
| Hancock County, IA | 25 mi | 16% | 87% |
| Mitchell County, IA | 30 mi | 4% | 75% |
| Winnebago County, IA | 32 mi | 18% | 82% |
| Butler County, IA | 33 mi | 9% | 73% |
| Wright County, IA | 34 mi | 27% | 89% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status