Guthrie County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 66% of Guthrie County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 62%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 67% 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 Guthrie County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 62.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 65.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 35.3% |
| Mapped soil | 379,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpsburg | 19% | 93% |
| Shelby | 9% | n/a |
| Colo | 9% | n/a |
| Clarion | 9% | 61% |
| Gara | 8% | 5% |
| Ladoga | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IA077 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.3% by land area here, and 35% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 62% of the mapped land.
On 66% of Guthrie 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: 32.15 in, 3.28 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.43 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 5 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 44.1% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 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
2 flood losses since 2016, $115,997 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.43 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.15 in (-3.28) |
| 2025 | 36.68 in (+1.25) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 50.46 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 19.37 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at AUDUBON (22 mi away) | 9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,808 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $180,100 |
| Single-family detached | 92% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audubon County, IA | 21 mi | 30% | 29% |
| Dallas County, IA | 24 mi | 17% | 60% |
| Adair County, IA | 25 mi | 91% | 80% |
| Greene County, IA | 25 mi | 11% | 71% |
| Carroll County, IA | 31 mi | 18% | 41% |
| Cass County, IA | 33 mi | 49% | 46% |
| Madison County, IA | 35 mi | 88% | 77% |
| Boone County, IA | 38 mi | 9% | 64% |
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