Lee County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Lee County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 61%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 18 flood losses here since 2016. 77% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1960.
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 Lee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 61.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 77.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 60.9% |
| Mapped soil | 345,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lindley | 11% | n/a |
| Weller | 10% | n/a |
| Pershing | 7% | n/a |
| Grundy | 6% | n/a |
| Haig | 5% | n/a |
| Keswick | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IA111 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.4% by land area here, and 61% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 61% of the mapped land.
On 77% of Lee 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: 34.78 in, 4.23 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 39.01 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 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
18 flood losses since 2016, $504,756 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 16.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.01 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.78 in (-4.23) |
| 2025 | 33.91 in (-5.10) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 57.30 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 21.58 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DONNELLSON (5 mi away) | 10.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 15,794 |
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Built before 1980 | 77% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $141,400 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County, MO | 21 mi | 58% | 78% |
| Hancock County, IL | 23 mi | 48% | 72% |
| Henry County, IA | 24 mi | 76% | 86% |
| Des Moines County, IA | 24 mi | 57% | 80% |
| Van Buren County, IA | 26 mi | 70% | 82% |
| Henderson County, IL | 30 mi | 13% | 43% |
| Jefferson County, IA | 36 mi | 71% | 87% |
| Scotland County, MO | 38 mi | 70% | 76% |
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