Wright County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 89% of Wright County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties and the 6th highest of 99 Iowa counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 80% 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 Wright County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 88.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 24.1% |
| Mapped soil | 372,400 acres |
How we count · survey areas IA197 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 24% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
On 89% of Wright 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: 30.57 in, 4.52 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.09 in.
USDA rates 93% 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 14 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 56.9% of its area, on the August 4, 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
1 flood losses since 2016, $2,369 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.09 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.57 in (-4.52) |
| 2025 | 36.77 in (+1.68) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 49.13 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 18.77 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WEBSTER CITY (19 mi away) | 9.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,278 |
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $119,600 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County, IA | 23 mi | 13% | 72% |
| Hancock County, IA | 24 mi | 16% | 87% |
| Hamilton County, IA | 24 mi | 32% | 91% |
| Humboldt County, IA | 24 mi | 10% | 90% |
| Webster County, IA | 31 mi | 27% | 88% |
| Cerro Gordo County, IA | 34 mi | 6% | 75% |
| Hardin County, IA | 34 mi | 17% | 57% |
| Kossuth County, IA | 41 mi | 18% | 90% |
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