Dickinson County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 75% of Dickinson County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 14 flood losses here since 2016. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Dickinson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 75.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 79.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.2% |
| Mapped soil | 258,600 acres |
How we count · survey areas IA059 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 75% of Dickinson 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: 22.47 in, 8.21 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 30.68 in.
USDA rates 79% 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 15 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 weeks, most recently on the April 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
14 flood losses since 2016, $311,028 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 10.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 10 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 30.68 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.47 in (-8.21) |
| 2025 | 29.96 in (-0.72) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 47.14 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1958: 14.10 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MILFORD 4 NW (1 mi away) | 6.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,206 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $270,700 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, MN | 20 mi | 25% | 85% |
| Clay County, IA | 21 mi | 32% | 77% |
| Osceola County, IA | 22 mi | 21% | 76% |
| Emmet County, IA | 26 mi | 10% | 84% |
| O'Brien County, IA | 30 mi | 47% | 64% |
| Palo Alto County, IA | 34 mi | 10% | 85% |
| Nobles County, MN | 35 mi | 10% | 90% |
| Martin County, MN | 38 mi | 9% | 87% |
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