Palo Alto County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 85% of Palo Alto County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% 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 2 flood losses here since 2016. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.
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 Palo Alto County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 85.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.8% |
| Mapped soil | 363,600 acres |
How we count · survey areas IA147 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 85% of Palo Alto 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: 20.89 in, 11.78 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.67 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 30 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 18.6% |
| 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, $29,870 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.67 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.89 in (-11.78) |
| 2025 | 28.96 in (-3.71) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 47.68 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1958: 16.58 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EMMETSBURG (2 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,535 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $123,200 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmet County, IA | 21 mi | 10% | 84% |
| Pocahontas County, IA | 24 mi | 13% | 93% |
| Clay County, IA | 24 mi | 32% | 77% |
| Kossuth County, IA | 25 mi | 18% | 90% |
| Humboldt County, IA | 31 mi | 10% | 90% |
| Buena Vista County, IA | 33 mi | 22% | 83% |
| Dickinson County, IA | 34 mi | 10% | 75% |
| Martin County, MN | 42 mi | 9% | 87% |
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