Worth County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 80% of Worth County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% 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. 82% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1948.
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 Worth County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 80.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.0% |
| Mapped soil | 257,100 acres |
How we count · survey areas IA195 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 80% of Worth 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: 29.27 in, 6.53 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.80 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 15 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 97.8% 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
2 flood losses since 2016, $4,388 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.80 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.27 in (-6.53) |
| 2025 | 39.14 in (+3.34) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 49.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 17.08 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NORTHWOOD (5 mi away) | 8.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,474 |
| Median year built | 1948 |
| Built before 1980 | 82% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $145,800 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerro Gordo County, IA | 21 mi | 6% | 75% |
| Freeborn County, MN | 21 mi | 13% | 82% |
| Mitchell County, IA | 23 mi | 4% | 75% |
| Winnebago County, IA | 25 mi | 18% | 82% |
| Mower County, MN | 32 mi | 3% | 86% |
| Floyd County, IA | 32 mi | 3% | 74% |
| Hancock County, IA | 32 mi | 16% | 87% |
| Faribault County, MN | 41 mi | 37% | 88% |
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