Jo Daviess County, Illinois
A shallow water table limits basements on 20% of Jo Daviess County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Jo Daviess County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 19.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 23.6% |
| Mapped soil | 395,985 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Fayette | 13% | 0% |
| Rozetta | 8% | n/a |
| Palsgrove | 8% | n/a |
| Lacrescent | 7% | n/a |
| Dubuque | 6% | n/a |
| Greenbush | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IL085 (2025-08-31)
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 17% of the mapped land.
On 20% of Jo Daviess 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: 32.63 in, 6.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.74 in.
USDA rates 78% 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 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the March 10, 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
12 flood losses since 2016, $241,362 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.74 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.63 in (-6.11) |
| 2025 | 31.38 in (-7.36) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 53.18 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 18.99 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ELIZABETH (3 mi away) | 10.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,440 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $209,900 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette County, WI | 21 mi | 29% | 14% |
| Jackson County, IA | 23 mi | 1% | 18% |
| Carroll County, IL | 25 mi | 13% | 17% |
| Stephenson County, IL | 28 mi | 13% | 24% |
| Dubuque County, IA | 35 mi | 9% | 25% |
| Clinton County, IA | 36 mi | 15% | 44% |
| Green County, WI | 38 mi | 30% | 19% |
| Grant County, WI | 43 mi | 23% | 11% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 31, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status