Jones County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 38% of Jones County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. 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 2 flood losses here since 2016. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Jones County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 12.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 38.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.6% |
| Mapped soil | 368,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Fayette | 24% | 0% |
| Downs | 6% | n/a |
| Chaseburg | 3% | n/a |
| Colo | 3% | n/a |
| Dinsdale | 3% | n/a |
| Waubeek | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IA105 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 38% of Jones 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: 35.12 in, 3.23 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.35 in.
USDA rates 96% 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 16 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 99.9% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the March 31, 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, $1,430 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.35 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.12 in (-3.23) |
| 2025 | 32.39 in (-5.96) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 51.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1988: 20.07 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CASCADE (13 mi away) | 9.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,889 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $184,800 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar County, IA | 24 mi | 39% | 43% |
| Linn County, IA | 25 mi | 9% | 57% |
| Dubuque County, IA | 26 mi | 9% | 25% |
| Delaware County, IA | 27 mi | 4% | 53% |
| Jackson County, IA | 28 mi | 1% | 18% |
| Clinton County, IA | 34 mi | 15% | 44% |
| Johnson County, IA | 40 mi | 40% | 56% |
| Scott County, IA | 42 mi | 36% | 41% |
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