Mitchell County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 75% of Mitchell County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1957.
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 Mitchell County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 75.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 8.8% |
| Mapped soil | 300,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Klinger | 8% | n/a |
| Dinsdale | 8% | n/a |
| Clyde | 8% | n/a |
| Maxfield | 7% | n/a |
| Floyd | 5% | n/a |
| Franklin | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IA131 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 75% of Mitchell 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: 35.08 in, 1.55 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 36.63 in.
USDA rates 97% 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 3 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 9.8% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the June 30, 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
9 flood losses since 2016, $198,390 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 36.63 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.08 in (-1.55) |
| 2025 | 40.45 in (+3.82) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2016: 51.65 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 16.68 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at OSAGE (5 mi away) | 9.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,950 |
| Median year built | 1957 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $175,100 |
| Single-family detached | 90% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floyd County, IA | 20 mi | 3% | 74% |
| Mower County, MN | 22 mi | 3% | 86% |
| Howard County, IA | 23 mi | 1% | 76% |
| Worth County, IA | 23 mi | 10% | 80% |
| Cerro Gordo County, IA | 30 mi | 6% | 75% |
| Chickasaw County, IA | 31 mi | 3% | 82% |
| Freeborn County, MN | 36 mi | 13% | 82% |
| Fillmore County, MN | 41 mi | 8% | 21% |
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