Ringgold County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Ringgold County's mapped land, a higher share than 87% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 76%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Ringgold County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 75.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 77.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 59.5% |
| Mapped soil | 343,100 acres |
How we count · survey areas IA159 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.6% by land area here, and 60% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 76% of the mapped land.
On 77% of Ringgold 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: 36.10 in, 1.37 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.47 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 6 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% 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
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Ringgold County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.47 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.10 in (-1.37) |
| 2025 | 30.85 in (-6.62) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 54.76 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1988: 16.14 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MT AYR (2 mi away) | 10.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,678 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $156,200 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worth County, MO | 20 mi | 41% | 58% |
| Union County, IA | 20 mi | 85% | 78% |
| Taylor County, IA | 24 mi | 85% | 83% |
| Decatur County, IA | 24 mi | 66% | 76% |
| Harrison County, MO | 30 mi | 66% | 68% |
| Adams County, IA | 31 mi | 88% | 78% |
| Clarke County, IA | 31 mi | 74% | 78% |
| Gentry County, MO | 37 mi | 68% | 71% |
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