Crawford County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 15% of Crawford County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 12%.
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. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.
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 Crawford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 12.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 67.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.7% |
| Mapped soil | 457,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Monona | 29% | n/a |
| Marshall | 20% | 0% |
| Judson | 13% | n/a |
| Ida | 7% | n/a |
| Exira | 5% | n/a |
| Napier | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IA047 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 15% of Crawford 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: 25.23 in, 8.34 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.57 in.
USDA rates 68% 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 10 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the August 11, 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 Crawford County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.57 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 25.23 in (-8.34) |
| 2025 | 34.32 in (+0.75) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 48.24 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 16.93 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DENISON (3 mi away) | 7.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,869 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $153,700 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ida County, IA | 25 mi | 23% | 27% |
| Shelby County, IA | 25 mi | 21% | 21% |
| Carroll County, IA | 27 mi | 18% | 41% |
| Sac County, IA | 28 mi | 26% | 63% |
| Monona County, IA | 29 mi | 30% | 46% |
| Harrison County, IA | 33 mi | 17% | 30% |
| Audubon County, IA | 35 mi | 30% | 29% |
| Woodbury County, IA | 42 mi | 16% | 25% |
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